Which to use
“ernähren” and “erzählen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #7,910
- “ernähren” frequency rank
- #1,659
- “erzählen” frequency rank
- 9569
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ernähren | erzählen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | regelmäßig für Nahrung sorgen | schriftlich oder mündlich ein Erlebnis oder Vorkommnis anschaulich zur Darstellung bringen |
Where the eye mixes ernähren and erzählen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses ernähren with erzählen
A purely visual mix-up. ernähren ([ɛɐ̯ˈnɛːʁən]) and erzählen ([ɛɐ̯ˈt͡sɛːlən]) 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 9569, 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]. erzählen is at rank #1,659, tagged as averb, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈt͡sɛːlən].
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 9569, this pair ranks #1,979,338 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of ernähren vs erzählen
Shared letters: ehnrä. Private to "ernähren": -. Private to "erzählen": lz.
"ernähren" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCCVC · "erzählen" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "ernähren" and "erzählen" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "ernähren" or "erzählen"?
Useful next steps
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 "erzählen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,979,338 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "ernähren" and "erzählen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "ernähre vs ernähren". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,979,338 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.