Which to use
“Erläuterung” and “Erläuterungen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #18,875
- “Erläuterung” frequency rank
- #13,353
- “Erläuterungen” frequency rank
- 32228
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Erläuterung | Erläuterungen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Erklärung (von Zusammenhängen, Sachverhalten) | Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Erläuterung |
Where the eye mixes Erläuterung and Erläuterungen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 11 letters in sequence. Erläuterung runs 11 letters (VCCVVCVCVCC) against Erläuterungen's 13 (VCCVVCVCVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: Erläuterung vs Erläuterungen
A purely visual mix-up. Erläuterung ([ɛɐ̯ˈlɔɪ̯təʁʊŋ]) and Erläuterungen ([ɛɐ̯ˈlɔɪ̯təʁʊŋən]) 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 2 extra letter(s) - “Erläuterung” sits inside “Erläuterungen”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 32228, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Erläuterung is recorded at frequency rank #18,875, classified as anoun, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈlɔɪ̯təʁʊŋ]. Erläuterungen is at rank #13,353, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈlɔɪ̯təʁʊŋən].
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 32228, this pair ranks #1,711,996 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Erläuterung vs Erläuterungen
Shared letters: eglnrtuä. Private to "Erläuterung": -. Private to "Erläuterungen": -.
"Erläuterung" · 11 letters · shape VCCVVCVCVCC · "Erläuterungen" · 13 letters · shape VCCVVCVCVCCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "Erläuterung" for "Erläuterungen" ever safe?
In ordinary German text, does "Erläuterung" or "Erläuterungen" show up more?
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 "Erläuterung" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Erläuterungen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,711,996 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Erläuterung" and "Erläuterungen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "erläutern vs Erläuterung". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,711,996 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.