Which to use
“erklären” and “erklärst” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #925
- “erklären” frequency rank
- #26,390
- “erklärst” frequency rank
- 27315
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | erklären | erklärst |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | jemandem etwas lehrend beschreiben, erläutern, verlautbaren; auf eine Ursache zurückführen | 2. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs erklären |
Where the eye mixes erklären and erklärst
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. erklären (VCCCVCVC) and erklärst (VCCCVCCC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Look-alike desk: erklären vs erklärst
A purely visual mix-up. erklären ([ɛɐ̯ˈklɛːʁən]) and erklärst ([ɛɐ̯ˈklɛːɐ̯st]) 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 27315, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
erklären is recorded at frequency rank #925, classified as averb, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈklɛːʁən]. erklärst is at rank #26,390, tagged as averb, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈklɛːɐ̯st].
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 27315, this pair ranks #1,803,753 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of erklären vs erklärst
Shared letters: eklrä. Private to "erklären": n. Private to "erklärst": st.
"erklären" · 8 letters · shape VCCCVCVC · "erklärst" · 8 letters · shape VCCCVCCC
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "erklären" and "erklärst" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "erklären" or "erklärst"?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "erklären" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "erklärst" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,803,753 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "erklären" and "erklärst" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "erklärst vs erlässt". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,803,753 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.