Which to use
“erstere” and “erstes” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #21,592
- “erstere” frequency rank
- #1,510
- “erstes” frequency rank
- 23102
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | erstere | erstes |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | von zweien oder mehreren zuerst genannt | Nominativ Singular Neutrum der starken Flexion des Positivs des Adjektivs erste |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set erstere and erstes apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. erstere ([ˈeːɐ̯stəʁə]) and erstes ([ˈeːɐ̯stəs]) 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 23102, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
erstere is recorded at frequency rank #21,592, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈeːɐ̯stəʁə]. erstes is at rank #1,510, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈeːɐ̯stəs].
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 23102, this pair ranks #1,865,758 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of erstere vs erstes
Shared letters: erst. Private to "erstere": -. Private to "erstes": -.
"erstere" · 7 letters · shape VCCCVCV · "erstes" · 6 letters · shape VCCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "erstere" and "erstes" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "erstere" or "erstes"?
Remembering erstere vs erstes
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “erstere” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable