ErlangungvsErwägungWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#27,277
“Erlangung” frequency rank
#14,797
“Erwägung” frequency rank
42074
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Erlangung Erwägung
Definition die Inbesitznahme von körperlichen Gütern oder geistigen Werten; das Erreichen von Zielen das prüfende Nachdenken über etwas oder verschiedene Möglichkeiten, wobei auch die möglichen Folgen bedacht werden

Where the spellings diverge

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

9 ch
Erlangung
8 ch
Erwägung

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Erlangung ([ɛɐ̯ˈlaŋʊŋ]) and Erwägung ([ɛɐ̯ˈvɛːɡʊŋ]) 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 42074, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Erlangung is recorded at frequency rank #27,277, classified as anoun, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈlaŋʊŋ]. Erwägung is at rank #14,797, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈvɛːɡʊŋ].

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 42074, this pair ranks #1,460,331 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Erlangung vs Erwägung

Shared letters: egnru. Private to "Erlangung": al. Private to "Erwägung": .

"Erlangung" · 9 letters · shape VCCVCCVCC  ·  "Erwägung" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Erlangungelrangung · eralngung · erlagnung · erlanggung · erlangnug · erlangugn · erlangungg · erlangunng

Frequency comparison

Erlangung#27,277
Erwägung#14,797

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Erlangung" and "Erwägung" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ɛɐ̯ˈlaŋʊŋ] versus [ɛɐ̯ˈvɛːɡʊŋ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Erlangung" or "Erwägung"?
"Erwägung" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #14,797 in our German list, against #27,277 for "Erlangung". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Erlangung vs Erwägung

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 “Erlangung” 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