erfährtvserfasstWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#4,116
“erfährt” frequency rank
#3,370
“erfasst” frequency rank
7486
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature erfährt erfasst
Definition 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs erfahren Partizip Perfekt des Verbs erfassen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set erfährt and erfasst apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
erfährt
7 ch
erfasst

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. erfährt ([ɛɐ̯ˈfɛːɐ̯t]) and erfasst ([ɛɐ̯ˈfast]) 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 3 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 7486, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

erfährt is recorded at frequency rank #4,116, classified as averb, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈfɛːɐ̯t]. erfasst is at rank #3,370, tagged as averb, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈfast].

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 7486, this pair ranks #1,987,980 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of erfährt vs erfasst

Shared letters: efrt. Private to "erfährt": . Private to "erfasst": as.

"erfährt" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCCC  ·  "erfasst" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • erfasstefrasst · erafsst · erfasstt · erfast · erfasts · erfaßt · erffasst · erfsast

Frequency comparison

erfährt#4,116
erfasst#3,370

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "erfährt" and "erfasst" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ɛɐ̯ˈfɛːɐ̯t] versus [ɛɐ̯ˈfast]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "erfährt" or "erfasst"?
"erfasst" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #3,370 in our German list, against #4,116 for "erfährt". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering erfährt vs erfasst

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “erfährt” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list