Which to use
“erstmal” is an adverb and “erstmalig” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #1,196
- “erstmal” frequency rank
- #14,796
- “erstmalig” frequency rank
- 15992
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | erstmal | erstmalig |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | bevor etwas anderes geschieht | nicht vorher gewesen; niemals vorher stattgefunden habend |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set erstmal and erstmalig apart are highlighted. They share 7 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: erstmal is [ˈeːɐ̯stmaːl] while erstmalig is [ˈeːɐ̯stmaːlɪç]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “erstmal” sits inside “erstmalig”, and the parts of speech differ too (adverb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 15992, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
erstmal is recorded at frequency rank #1,196, classified as anadv, pronounced [ˈeːɐ̯stmaːl]. erstmalig is at rank #14,796, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈeːɐ̯stmaːlɪç].
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 15992, this pair ranks #1,939,519 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of erstmal vs erstmalig
Shared letters: aelmrst. Private to "erstmal": -. Private to "erstmalig": gi.
"erstmal" · 7 letters · shape VCCCCVC · "erstmalig" · 9 letters · shape VCCCCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "erstmal" and "erstmalig" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "erstmal" or "erstmalig"?
Remembering erstmal vs erstmalig
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adverb, it's “erstmal”; for an adjective, it's “erstmalig”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “erstmal” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable