Which to use
“erfährt” and “ernährt” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #4,116
- “erfährt” frequency rank
- #14,057
- “ernährt” frequency rank
- 18173
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | erfährt | ernährt |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs erfahren | Partizip Perfekt des Verbs ernähren |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set erfährt and ernährt apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. erfährt ([ɛɐ̯ˈfɛːɐ̯t]) and ernährt ([ɛɐ̯ˈnɛːɐ̯t]) 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 a single letter - f in “erfährt” becomes n in “ernährt”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 18173, 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]. ernährt is at rank #14,057, tagged as averb, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈnɛːɐ̯t].
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 18173, this pair ranks #1,920,728 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of erfährt vs ernährt
Shared letters: ehrtä. Private to "erfährt": f. Private to "ernährt": n.
"erfährt" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCCC · "ernährt" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCCC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "erfährt" and "ernährt" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "erfährt" or "ernährt"?
Remembering erfährt vs ernährt
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