Which to use
“ersetzen” is a verb and “ersten” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #3,438
- “ersetzen” frequency rank
- #160
- “ersten” frequency rank
- 3598
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ersetzen | ersten |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | etwas entfernen und an dieselbe Stelle etwas anderes setzen | Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Flexion des Positivs des Adjektivs erste |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set ersetzen and ersten apart are highlighted. They share 6 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: ersetzen is [ɛɐ̯ˈzɛt͡sn̩] while ersten is [ˈeːɐ̯stn̩]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 3598, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
ersetzen is recorded at frequency rank #3,438, classified as averb, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈzɛt͡sn̩]. ersten is at rank #160, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈeːɐ̯stn̩].
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 3598, this pair ranks #1,999,831 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of ersetzen vs ersten
Shared letters: enrst. Private to "ersetzen": z. Private to "ersten": -.
"ersetzen" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCCVC · "ersten" · 6 letters · shape VCCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "ersetzen" and "ersten" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "ersetzen" or "ersten"?
Remembering ersetzen vs ersten
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “ersetzen”; for an adjective, it's “ersten”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “ersetzen” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable