Which to use
“erstarrt” is a verb and “erstaunt” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #37,502
- “erstarrt” frequency rank
- #7,463
- “erstaunt” frequency rank
- 44965
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | erstarrt | erstaunt |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Partizip Perfekt des Verbs erstarren | über etwas staunend |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set erstarrt and erstaunt 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: erstarrt is [ɛɐ̯ˈʃtaʁt] while erstaunt is [ɛɐ̯ˈʃtaʊ̯nt]. 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 44965, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
erstarrt is recorded at frequency rank #37,502, classified as averb, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈʃtaʁt]. erstaunt is at rank #7,463, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈʃtaʊ̯nt].
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 44965, this pair ranks #1,368,845 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of erstarrt vs erstaunt
Shared letters: aerst. Private to "erstarrt": -. Private to "erstaunt": nu.
"erstarrt" · 8 letters · shape VCCCVCCC · "erstaunt" · 8 letters · shape VCCCVVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "erstarrt" and "erstaunt" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "erstarrt" or "erstaunt"?
Remembering erstarrt vs erstaunt
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “erstarrt”; for an adjective, it's “erstaunt”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “erstarrt” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable