erklärstvserlässtWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#26,390
“erklärst” frequency rank
#34,076
“erlässt” frequency rank
60466
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature erklärst erlässt
Definition 2. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs erklären 2. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs erlassen

Where the spellings diverge

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

8 ch
erklärst
7 ch
erlässt

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. erklärst ([ɛɐ̯ˈklɛːɐ̯st]) and erlässt ([ɛɐ̯ˈlɛst]) 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 60466, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

erklärst is recorded at frequency rank #26,390, classified as averb, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈklɛːɐ̯st]. erlässt is at rank #34,076, tagged as averb, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈlɛst].

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 60466, this pair ranks #785,928 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of erklärst vs erlässt

Shared letters: elrstä. Private to "erklärst": k. Private to "erlässt": -.

"erklärst" · 8 letters · shape VCCCVCCC  ·  "erlässt" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCCC

Frequency comparison

erklärst#26,390
erlässt#34,076

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "erklärst" and "erlässt" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ɛɐ̯ˈklɛːɐ̯st] versus [ɛɐ̯ˈlɛst]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "erklärst" or "erlässt"?
"erklärst" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #26,390 in our German list, against #34,076 for "erlässt". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering erklärst vs erlässt

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 “erklärst” 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