Which to use
“erkaufen” and “erlauben” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #36,297
- “erkaufen” frequency rank
- #3,575
- “erlauben” frequency rank
- 39872
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | erkaufen | erlauben |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | etwas durch Anstrengung oder Opfer erlangen | jemandem die Zustimmung oder die Möglichkeit geben |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set erkaufen and erlauben 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. erkaufen ([ɛɐ̯ˈkaʊ̯fn̩]) and erlauben ([ɛɐ̯ˈlaʊ̯bn̩]) 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 39872, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
erkaufen is recorded at frequency rank #36,297, classified as averb, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈkaʊ̯fn̩]. erlauben is at rank #3,575, tagged as averb, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈlaʊ̯bn̩].
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 39872, this pair ranks #1,524,520 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of erkaufen vs erlauben
Shared letters: aenru. Private to "erkaufen": fk. Private to "erlauben": bl.
"erkaufen" · 8 letters · shape VCCVVCVC · "erlauben" · 8 letters · shape VCCVVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "erkaufen" and "erlauben" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "erkaufen" or "erlauben"?
Remembering erkaufen vs erlauben
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 “erkaufen” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable