erhältvserhängtWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#1,548
“erhält” frequency rank
#33,027
“erhängt” frequency rank
34575
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature erhält erhängt
Definition 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs erhalten 2. Person Plural Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs erhängen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set erhält and erhängt apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
erhält
7 ch
erhängt

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. erhält ([ɛɐ̯ˈhɛlt]) and erhängt ([ɛɐ̯ˈhɛŋt]) 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 34575, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

erhält is recorded at frequency rank #1,548, classified as averb, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈhɛlt]. erhängt is at rank #33,027, tagged as averb, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈhɛŋt].

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 34575, this pair ranks #1,660,130 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of erhält vs erhängt

Shared letters: ehrtä. Private to "erhält": l. Private to "erhängt": gn.

"erhält" · 6 letters · shape VCCVCC  ·  "erhängt" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCCC

Frequency comparison

erhält#1,548
erhängt#33,027

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "erhält" and "erhängt" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ɛɐ̯ˈhɛlt] versus [ɛɐ̯ˈhɛŋt]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "erhält" or "erhängt"?
"erhält" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #1,548 in our German list, against #33,027 for "erhängt". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering erhält vs erhängt

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 “erhält” 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