Which to use
“ergreifen” and “ergriffen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #8,552
- “ergreifen” frequency rank
- #11,045
- “ergriffen” frequency rank
- 19597
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ergreifen | ergriffen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | mit den Händen anfassen, festhalten, nach etwas greifen | Partizip Perfekt des Verbs ergreifen |
Where the eye mixes ergreifen and ergriffen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 8 letters in sequence. ergreifen (VCCCVVCVC) and ergriffen (VCCCVCCVC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Look-alike desk: ergreifen vs ergriffen
A purely visual mix-up. ergreifen ([ɛɐ̯ˈɡʁaɪ̯fn̩]) and ergriffen ([ɛɐ̯ˈɡʁɪfn̩]) 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 19597, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
ergreifen is recorded at frequency rank #8,552, classified as averb, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈɡʁaɪ̯fn̩]. ergriffen is at rank #11,045, tagged as averb, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈɡʁɪfn̩].
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 19597, this pair ranks #1,906,666 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of ergreifen vs ergriffen
Shared letters: efginr. Private to "ergreifen": -. Private to "ergriffen": -.
"ergreifen" · 9 letters · shape VCCCVVCVC · "ergriffen" · 9 letters · shape VCCCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "ergreifen" and "ergriffen" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "ergreifen" or "ergriffen"?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "ergreifen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "ergriffen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,906,666 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "ergreifen" and "ergriffen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "ergreifen vs Ergreifung". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #1,906,666 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.