Which to use
“eben” is an adjective and “Erbes” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #357
- “eben” frequency rank
- #31,530
- “Erbes” frequency rank
- 31887
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | eben | Erbes |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | parallel zu einer gleichmäßig flachen Erdoberfläche; horizontal verlaufend, liegend; waagerecht | Genitiv Singular des Substantivs Erbe |
Where the eye mixes eben and Erbes
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses eben with Erbes
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: eben is [ˈeːbn̩] while Erbes is [ˈɛʁbəs]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 31887, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
eben is recorded at frequency rank #357, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈeːbn̩]. Erbes is at rank #31,530, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈɛʁbəs].
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 31887, this pair ranks #1,719,022 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of eben vs Erbes
Shared letters: be. Private to "eben": n. Private to "Erbes": rs.
"eben" · 4 letters · shape VCVC · "Erbes" · 5 letters · shape VCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "eben" for "Erbes" ever safe?
Which is more common, "eben" or "Erbes"?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "eben" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Erbes" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,719,022 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "eben" and "Erbes" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Erbes vs Erle". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #1,719,022 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.