Which to use
“erkannt” and “erkrankt” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #2,711
- “erkannt” frequency rank
- #12,274
- “erkrankt” frequency rank
- 14985
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | erkannt | erkrankt |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Partizip Perfekt des Verbs erkennen | 2. Person Plural Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs erkranken |
Where the eye mixes erkannt and erkrankt
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. erkannt runs 7 letters (VCCVCCC) against erkrankt's 8 (VCCCVCCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses erkannt with erkrankt
A purely visual mix-up. erkannt ([ɛɐ̯ˈkant]) and erkrankt ([ɛɐ̯ˈkʁaŋkt]) 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 14985, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
erkannt is recorded at frequency rank #2,711, classified as averb, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈkant]. erkrankt is at rank #12,274, tagged as averb, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈkʁaŋkt].
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 14985, this pair ranks #1,947,287 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of erkannt vs erkrankt
Shared letters: aeknrt. Private to "erkannt": -. Private to "erkrankt": -.
"erkannt" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCCC · "erkrankt" · 8 letters · shape VCCCVCCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "erkannt" for "erkrankt" ever safe?
Which is more common, "erkannt" or "erkrankt"?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "erkannt" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "erkrankt" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,947,287 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "erkannt" and "erkrankt" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "erkrankt vs ertrinkt". 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 #1,947,287 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.