erfindetvserfundenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#23,502
“erfindet” frequency rank
#4,425
“erfunden” frequency rank
27927
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature erfindet erfunden
Definition 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs erfinden Partizip Perfekt des Verbs erfinden

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set erfindet and erfunden apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
erfindet
8 ch
erfunden

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. erfindet ([ɛɐ̯ˈfɪndət]) 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 share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 27927, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

erfindet is recorded at frequency rank #23,502, classified as averb, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈfɪndət]. 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 27927, this pair ranks #1,793,539 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of erfindet vs erfunden

Shared letters: defnr. Private to "erfindet": it. Private to "erfunden": u.

"erfindet" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCCVC  ·  "erfunden" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • erfindetefrindet · erffindet · erfidnet · erfinddet · erfindett · erfindte · erfinedt · erfinndet
  • erfundenefrunden · erffunden · erfnuden · erfudnen · erfundden · erfundenn · erfundne · erfunedn

Frequency comparison

erfindet#23,502
erfunden#4,425

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "erfindet" and "erfunden" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ɛɐ̯ˈfɪndət] versus [ɛɐ̯ˈfʊndn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "erfindet" or "erfunden"?
"erfunden" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #4,425 in our German list, against #23,502 for "erfindet". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering erfindet 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 “erfindet” 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