Which to use
“erklären” and “erklärt” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #925
- “erklären” frequency rank
- #760
- “erklärt” frequency rank
- 1685
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | erklären | erklärt |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | jemandem etwas lehrend beschreiben, erläutern, verlautbaren; auf eine Ursache zurückführen | Partizip Perfekt des Verbs erklären |
Where the eye mixes erklären and erklärt
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. erklären runs 8 letters (VCCCVCVC) against erklärt's 7 (VCCCVCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between erklären and erklärt
A purely visual mix-up. erklären ([ɛɐ̯ˈklɛːʁən]) and erklärt ([ɛɐ̯ˈklɛːɐ̯t]) 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 1685, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
erklären is recorded at frequency rank #925, classified as averb, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈklɛːʁən]. erklärt is at rank #760, tagged as averb, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈklɛːɐ̯t].
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 1685, this pair ranks #2,003,906 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of erklären vs erklärt
Shared letters: eklrä. Private to "erklären": n. Private to "erklärt": t.
"erklären" · 8 letters · shape VCCCVCVC · "erklärt" · 7 letters · shape VCCCVCC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "erklären" and "erklärt" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "erklären" vs "erklärt" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "erklären" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "erklärt" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #2,003,906 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "erklären" and "erklärt" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "erklären vs erklärtes". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #2,003,906 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.