Which to use
“erfolgen” is a verb and “erfolgte” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #2,589
- “erfolgen” frequency rank
- #3,519
- “erfolgte” frequency rank
- 6108
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | erfolgen | erfolgte |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | stattfinden, sich ereignen, getan werden (der Inhalt des Tuns steckt im Subjekt des Satzes) | Nominativ Singular Femininum der starken Flexion des Positivs des Adjektivs erfolgt |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set erfolgen and erfolgte apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: erfolgen is [ɛɐ̯ˈfɔlɡn̩] while erfolgte is [ɛɐ̯ˈfɔlktə]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 6108, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
erfolgen is recorded at frequency rank #2,589, classified as averb, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈfɔlɡn̩]. erfolgte is at rank #3,519, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈfɔlktə].
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 6108, this pair ranks #1,992,691 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of erfolgen vs erfolgte
Shared letters: efglor. Private to "erfolgen": n. Private to "erfolgte": t.
"erfolgen" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCCVC · "erfolgte" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "erfolgen" and "erfolgte" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "erfolgen" or "erfolgte"?
Remembering erfolgen vs erfolgte
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “erfolgen”; for an adjective, it's “erfolgte”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “erfolgen” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable