Which to use
“ernähren” and “erwähnen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #7,910
- “ernähren” frequency rank
- #4,697
- “erwähnen” frequency rank
- 12607
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ernähren | erwähnen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | regelmäßig für Nahrung sorgen | etwas nebenbei und beiläufig aussprechen/anführen, zur Sprache bringen |
Where the eye mixes ernähren and erwähnen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. ernähren and erwähnen follow the identical consonant-vowel pattern (VCCVCCVC). Same shape at a glance is often the real trap, independent of shared letters.
Look-alike desk: ernähren vs erwähnen
A purely visual mix-up. ernähren ([ɛɐ̯ˈnɛːʁən]) and erwähnen ([ɛɐ̯ˈvɛːnən]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 12607, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
ernähren is recorded at frequency rank #7,910, classified as averb, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈnɛːʁən]. erwähnen is at rank #4,697, tagged as averb, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈvɛːnən].
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 12607, this pair ranks #1,963,157 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of ernähren vs erwähnen
Shared letters: ehnrä. Private to "ernähren": -. Private to "erwähnen": w.
"ernähren" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCCVC · "erwähnen" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "ernähren" and "erwähnen" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "ernähren" or "erwähnen"?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "ernähren" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "erwähnen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,963,157 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "ernähren" and "erwähnen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "ernähre vs ernähren". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,963,157 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.