ErfolgvserfolgtWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: Erfolg is a noun, erfolgt is a verb, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“Erfolg” is a noun and “erfolgt” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#581
“Erfolg” frequency rank
#1,547
“erfolgt” frequency rank
2128
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Erfolg erfolgt
Definition das Gelingen einer Sache 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs erfolgen

Where the spellings diverge

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

6 ch
Erfolg
7 ch
erfolgt

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

Erfolg and erfolgt form a confusable pair in the German index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “Erfolg” sits inside “erfolgt” - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 2128, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Erfolg is recorded at frequency rank #581, classified as anoun, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈfɔlk]. erfolgt is at rank #1,547, tagged as averb, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈfɔlkt].

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 2128, this pair ranks #2,003,043 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Frequency comparison

Erfolg#581
erfolgt#1,547

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Erfolg" and "erfolgt" be used interchangeably?
No, "Erfolg" and "erfolgt" have distinct meanings and cannot be swapped without changing the meaning of a sentence. Understanding the specific definition and context for each word is essential for correct usage.

Remembering Erfolg vs erfolgt

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “Erfolg”; for a verb, it's “erfolgt”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “Erfolg” 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