Which to use
“erschütternd” and “erschüttert” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #39,918
- “erschütternd” frequency rank
- #9,895
- “erschüttert” frequency rank
- 49813
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | erschütternd | erschüttert |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Partizip Präsens des Verbs erschüttern | Partizip Perfekt des Verbs erschüttern |
Where the eye mixes erschütternd and erschüttert
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 10 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses erschütternd with erschüttert
A purely visual mix-up. erschütternd ([ɛɐ̯ˈʃʏtɐnt]) and erschüttert ([ɛɐ̯ˈʃʏtɐt]) 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 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 49813, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
erschütternd is recorded at frequency rank #39,918, classified as averb, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈʃʏtɐnt]. erschüttert is at rank #9,895, tagged as averb, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈʃʏtɐt].
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 49813, this pair ranks #1,197,405 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of erschütternd vs erschüttert
Shared letters: cehrstü. Private to "erschütternd": dn. Private to "erschüttert": -.
"erschütternd" · 12 letters · shape VCCCCVCCVCCC · "erschüttert" · 11 letters · shape VCCCCVCCVCC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "erschütternd" for "erschüttert" ever safe?
Which is more common, "erschütternd" or "erschüttert"?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "erschütternd" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "erschüttert" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,197,405 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "erschütternd" and "erschüttert" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "erschütternd vs Erschütterung". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,197,405 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.