Which to use
“ernährt” and “erzählt” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #14,057
- “ernährt” frequency rank
- #926
- “erzählt” frequency rank
- 14983
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ernährt | erzählt |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Partizip Perfekt des Verbs ernähren | Partizip Perfekt des Verbs erzählen |
Where the eye mixes ernährt and erzählt
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. ernährt and erzählt follow the identical consonant-vowel pattern (VCCVCCC). Same shape at a glance is often the real trap, independent of shared letters.
Why the eye confuses ernährt with erzählt
A purely visual mix-up. ernährt ([ɛɐ̯ˈnɛːɐ̯t]) and erzählt ([ɛɐ̯ˈt͡sɛːlt]) 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 14983, 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]. erzählt is at rank #926, tagged as averb, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈt͡sɛːlt].
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 14983, this pair ranks #1,947,305 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of ernährt vs erzählt
Shared letters: ehrtä. Private to "ernährt": n. Private to "erzählt": lz.
"ernährt" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCCC · "erzählt" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCCC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "ernährt" and "erzählt" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "ernährt" vs "erzählt" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "ernährt" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "erzählt" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,947,305 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "ernährt" and "erzählt" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "ernähre vs ernährt". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,947,305 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.