Which to use
“erfährst” and “erzählst” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #19,892
- “erfährst” frequency rank
- #18,531
- “erzählst” frequency rank
- 38423
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | erfährst | erzählst |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 2. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs erfahren | 2. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs erzählen |
Where the eye mixes erfährst and erzählst
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. erfährst and erzählst follow the identical consonant-vowel pattern (VCCVCCCC). Same shape at a glance is often the real trap, independent of shared letters.
Why the eye confuses erfährst with erzählst
A purely visual mix-up. erfährst ([ɛɐ̯ˈfɛːɐ̯st]) and erzählst ([ɛɐ̯ˈt͡sɛːlst]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 38423, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
erfährst is recorded at frequency rank #19,892, classified as averb, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈfɛːɐ̯st]. erzählst is at rank #18,531, tagged as averb, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈt͡sɛːlst].
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 38423, this pair ranks #1,564,379 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of erfährst vs erzählst
Shared letters: ehrstä. Private to "erfährst": f. Private to "erzählst": lz.
"erfährst" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCCCC · "erzählst" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCCCC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "erfährst" and "erzählst" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "erfährst" vs "erzählst" - which ranks higher?
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 "erfährst" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "erzählst" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,564,379 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "erfährst" and "erzählst" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "erfährst vs erwähnst". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,564,379 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.