Which to use
“erfinden” and “erfunden” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #9,535
- “erfinden” frequency rank
- #4,425
- “erfunden” frequency rank
- 13960
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | erfinden | erfunden |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | eine technische Neuheit erdenken; eine Erfindung machen | Partizip Perfekt des Verbs erfinden |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set erfinden and erfunden apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. erfinden ([ɛɐ̯ˈfɪndn̩]) and erfunden ([ɛɐ̯ˈfʊndn̩]) 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 - i in “erfinden” becomes u in “erfunden”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 13960, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
erfinden is recorded at frequency rank #9,535, classified as averb, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈfɪndn̩]. erfunden is at rank #4,425, tagged as averb, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈfʊndn̩].
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 13960, this pair ranks #1,954,516 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of erfinden vs erfunden
Shared letters: defnr. Private to "erfinden": i. Private to "erfunden": u.
"erfinden" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCCVC · "erfunden" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "erfinden" and "erfunden" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "erfinden" or "erfunden"?
Remembering erfinden vs erfunden
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 “erfinden” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable