Which to use
“erkauft” and “erlaubt” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #35,749
- “erkauft” frequency rank
- #1,590
- “erlaubt” frequency rank
- 37339
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | erkauft | erlaubt |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs erkaufen | Partizip Perfekt des Verbs erlauben |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set erkauft and erlaubt apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
erkauft and erlaubt form a confusable pair in the German index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 37339, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
erkauft is recorded at frequency rank #35,749, classified as averb, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈkaʊ̯ft]. erlaubt is at rank #1,590, tagged as averb, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈlaʊ̯pt].
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 37339, this pair ranks #1,592,809 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "erkauft" and "erlaubt" be used interchangeably?
Remembering erkauft vs erlaubt
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 “erkauft” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable