Which to use
“erfreuen” and “erregen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #11,044
- “erfreuen” frequency rank
- #17,875
- “erregen” frequency rank
- 28919
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | erfreuen | erregen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | eine Sache genießen, für eine Sache Freude, fröhliches Gefühl empfinden | jemanden oder sich in Unruhe oder Ärger versetzen; jemanden aktivieren; jemanden (sexuell) stimulieren |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set erfreuen and erregen 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. erfreuen ([ɛɐ̯ˈfʁɔɪ̯ən]) and erregen ([ɛɐ̯ˈʁeːɡn̩]) 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 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 28919, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
erfreuen is recorded at frequency rank #11,044, classified as averb, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈfʁɔɪ̯ən]. erregen is at rank #17,875, tagged as averb, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈʁeːɡn̩].
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 28919, this pair ranks #1,776,215 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of erfreuen vs erregen
Shared letters: enr. Private to "erfreuen": fu. Private to "erregen": g.
"erfreuen" · 8 letters · shape VCCCVVVC · "erregen" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "erfreuen" and "erregen" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "erfreuen" or "erregen"?
Remembering erfreuen vs erregen
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 “erfreuen” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable