Which to use
“Erbfolge” and “Erfolg” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #42,460
- “Erbfolge” frequency rank
- #581
- “Erfolg” frequency rank
- 43041
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Erbfolge | Erfolg |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | sich durch Abstammung oder auch Testament ergebende Abfolge unter den Erben eines Nachlasses | das Gelingen einer Sache |
Where the eye mixes Erbfolge and Erfolg
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses Erbfolge with Erfolg
A purely visual mix-up. Erbfolge ([ˈɛʁpˌfɔlɡə]) and Erfolg ([ɛɐ̯ˈfɔlk]) 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 2 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 43041, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Erbfolge is recorded at frequency rank #42,460, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈɛʁpˌfɔlɡə]. Erfolg is at rank #581, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈfɔlk].
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 43041, this pair ranks #1,430,420 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of Erbfolge vs Erfolg
Shared letters: efglor. Private to "Erbfolge": b. Private to "Erfolg": -.
"Erbfolge" · 8 letters · shape VCCCVCCV · "Erfolg" · 6 letters · shape VCCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "Erbfolge" and "Erfolg" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "Erbfolge" or "Erfolg"?
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 "Erbfolge" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Erfolg" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,430,420 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Erbfolge" and "Erfolg" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Erbfolge vs Erfolges". 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 #1,430,420 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.