entsetztvsersetztWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“entsetzt” and “ersetzt” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#10,644
“entsetzt” frequency rank
#2,336
“ersetzt” frequency rank
12980
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature entsetzt ersetzt
Definition Partizip Perfekt des Verbs entsetzen Partizip Perfekt des Verbs ersetzen

Where the eye mixes entsetzt and ersetzt

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. entsetzt runs 8 letters (VCCCVCCC) against ersetzt's 7 (VCCVCCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.

8 ch
entsetzt
7 ch
ersetzt

Look-alike desk: entsetzt vs ersetzt

A purely visual mix-up. entsetzt ([ɛntˈzɛt͡st]) and ersetzt ([ɛɐ̯ˈzɛt͡st]) 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 12980, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

entsetzt is recorded at frequency rank #10,644, classified as averb, pronounced [ɛntˈzɛt͡st]. ersetzt is at rank #2,336, tagged as averb, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈzɛt͡st].

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 12980, this pair ranks #1,960,854 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of entsetzt vs ersetzt

Shared letters: estz. Private to "entsetzt": n. Private to "ersetzt": r.

"entsetzt" · 8 letters · shape VCCCVCCC  ·  "ersetzt" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • entsetzt ← enntsetzt · enstetzt · entestzt · entsettz · entsettzt · entsetztt · entsetzzt · entseztt
  • ersetzt ← erestzt · errsetzt · ersettz · ersettzt · ersetztt · ersetzzt · erseztt · erssetzt

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "entsetzt" and "ersetzt" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ɛntˈzɛt͡st] versus [ɛɐ̯ˈzɛt͡st]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Frequency check: "entsetzt" vs "ersetzt" - which ranks higher?
"ersetzt" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #2,336 in our German list, against #10,644 for "entsetzt". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

After this comparison

Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.

  • Full dictionary entry for "entsetzt" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "ersetzt" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #1,960,854 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "entsetzt" and "ersetzt" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "ersetzt vs ersetzten". 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 #1,960,854 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list