Which to use
“einzahlen” and “erzählen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #25,977
- “einzahlen” frequency rank
- #1,659
- “erzählen” frequency rank
- 27636
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | einzahlen | erzählen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Bargeld bei einem Geldinstitut (Bank, Sparkasse oder Ähnliches) abgeben, um es auf einem Konto verbuchen zu lassen | schriftlich oder mündlich ein Erlebnis oder Vorkommnis anschaulich zur Darstellung bringen |
Where the eye mixes einzahlen and erzählen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses einzahlen with erzählen
A purely visual mix-up. einzahlen ([ˈaɪ̯nˌt͡saːlən]) and erzählen ([ɛɐ̯ˈt͡sɛːlən]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 27636, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
einzahlen is recorded at frequency rank #25,977, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈaɪ̯nˌt͡saːlən]. erzählen is at rank #1,659, tagged as averb, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈt͡sɛːlən].
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 27636, this pair ranks #1,798,521 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of einzahlen vs erzählen
Shared letters: ehlnz. Private to "einzahlen": ai. Private to "erzählen": rä.
"einzahlen" · 9 letters · shape VVCCVCCVC · "erzählen" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- einzahlen ← einazhlen · einnzahlen · einzaheln · einzahhlen · einzahlenn · einzahllen · einzahlne · einzalhen
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "einzahlen" and "erzählen" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "einzahlen" or "erzählen"?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "einzahlen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "erzählen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,798,521 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "einzahlen" and "erzählen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "einzahlen vs Einzahlung". 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 #1,798,521 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.