erklangvserlangtWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#36,915
“erklang” frequency rank
#11,861
“erlangt” frequency rank
48776
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature erklang erlangt
Definition 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs erklingen Partizip Perfekt des Verbs erlangen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set erklang and erlangt apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
erklang
7 ch
erlangt

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. erklang ([ɛɐ̯ˈklaŋ]) and erlangt ([ɛɐ̯ˈlaŋt]) 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 5 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 48776, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

erklang is recorded at frequency rank #36,915, classified as averb, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈklaŋ]. erlangt is at rank #11,861, tagged as averb, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈlaŋt].

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 48776, this pair ranks #1,236,072 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of erklang vs erlangt

Shared letters: aeglnr. Private to "erklang": k. Private to "erlangt": t.

"erklang" · 7 letters · shape VCCCVCC  ·  "erlangt" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • erklangekrlang · erkalng · erkklang · erklagn · erklangg · erklanng · erkllang · erklnag
  • erlangtelrangt · eralngt · erlagnt · erlanggt · erlangtt · erlanngt · erlantg · erllangt

Frequency comparison

erklang#36,915
erlangt#11,861

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "erklang" and "erlangt" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ɛɐ̯ˈklaŋ] versus [ɛɐ̯ˈlaŋt]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "erklang" or "erlangt"?
"erlangt" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #11,861 in our German list, against #36,915 for "erklang". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering erklang vs erlangt

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 “erklang” 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