Which to use
“ernährt” is a verb and “erwählt” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #14,057
- “ernährt” frequency rank
- #26,395
- “erwählt” frequency rank
- 40452
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ernährt | erwählt |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Partizip Perfekt des Verbs ernähren | für eine bestimmte Aufgabe ausgesucht, bevorzugt |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set ernährt and erwählt apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: ernährt is [ɛɐ̯ˈnɛːɐ̯t] while erwählt is [ɛɐ̯ˈvɛːlt]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 40452, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
ernährt is recorded at frequency rank #14,057, classified as averb, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈnɛːɐ̯t]. erwählt is at rank #26,395, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈvɛːlt].
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 40452, this pair ranks #1,508,078 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of ernährt vs erwählt
Shared letters: ehrtä. Private to "ernährt": n. Private to "erwählt": lw.
"ernährt" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCCC · "erwählt" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCCC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "ernährt" and "erwählt" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "ernährt" or "erwählt"?
Remembering ernährt vs erwählt
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “ernährt”; for an adjective, it's “erwählt”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “ernährt” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable