Which to use
“erstes” is an adjective and “erwies” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #1,510
- “erstes” frequency rank
- #9,017
- “erwies” frequency rank
- 10527
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | erstes | erwies |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Nominativ Singular Neutrum der starken Flexion des Positivs des Adjektivs erste | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs erweisen |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set erstes and erwies apart are highlighted. They share 4 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: erstes is [ˈeːɐ̯stəs] while erwies is [ɛɐ̯ˈviːs]. 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 (adjective vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 10527, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
erstes is recorded at frequency rank #1,510, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈeːɐ̯stəs]. erwies is at rank #9,017, tagged as averb, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈviːs].
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 10527, this pair ranks #1,974,689 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of erstes vs erwies
Shared letters: ers. Private to "erstes": t. Private to "erwies": iw.
"erstes" · 6 letters · shape VCCCVC · "erwies" · 6 letters · shape VCCVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "erstes" and "erwies" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "erstes" or "erwies"?
Remembering erstes vs erwies
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “erstes”; for a verb, it's “erwies”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “erstes” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable