Which to use
“erlag” and “erwägt” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #22,326
- “erlag” frequency rank
- #21,960
- “erwägt” frequency rank
- 44286
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | erlag | erwägt |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs erliegen | 2. Person Plural Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs erwägen |
Where the eye mixes erlag and erwägt
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence. erlag runs 5 letters (VCCVC) against erwägt's 6 (VCCVCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses erlag with erwägt
A purely visual mix-up. erlag ([ɛɐ̯ˈlaːk]) and erwägt ([ɛɐ̯ˈvɛːkt]) 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 44286, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
erlag is recorded at frequency rank #22,326, classified as averb, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈlaːk]. erwägt is at rank #21,960, tagged as averb, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈvɛːkt].
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 44286, this pair ranks #1,391,124 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of erlag vs erwägt
Shared letters: egr. Private to "erlag": al. Private to "erwägt": twä.
"erlag" · 5 letters · shape VCCVC · "erwägt" · 6 letters · shape VCCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
- erlag ← elrag · eralg · erlagg · erlga · erllag · errlag · relag
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "erlag" and "erwägt" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "erlag" or "erwägt"?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "erlag" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "erwägt" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,391,124 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "erlag" and "erwägt" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "erlag vs Erle". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #1,391,124 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.