ergänztvserlangtWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#3,574
“ergänzt” frequency rank
#11,861
“erlangt” frequency rank
15435
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature ergänzt erlangt
Definition Partizip Perfekt des Verbs ergänzen Partizip Perfekt des Verbs erlangen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set ergänzt and erlangt apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
ergänzt
7 ch
erlangt

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. ergänzt ([ɛɐ̯ˈɡɛnt͡st]) and erlangt ([ɛɐ̯ˈlaŋt]) 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 3 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 15435, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

ergänzt is recorded at frequency rank #3,574, classified as averb, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈɡɛnt͡st]. erlangt is at rank #11,861, tagged as averb, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈlaŋt].

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 15435, this pair ranks #1,943,901 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of ergänzt vs erlangt

Shared letters: egnrt. Private to "ergänzt": . Private to "erlangt": al.

"ergänzt" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCCC  ·  "erlangt" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • erlangtelrangt · eralngt · erlagnt · erlanggt · erlangtt · erlanngt · erlantg · erllangt

Frequency comparison

ergänzt#3,574
erlangt#11,861

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "ergänzt" and "erlangt" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ɛɐ̯ˈɡɛnt͡st] versus [ɛɐ̯ˈlaŋt]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "ergänzt" or "erlangt"?
"ergänzt" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #3,574 in our German list, against #11,861 for "erlangt". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering ergänzt vs erlangt

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 “ergänzt” 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