Which to use
“erstmalig” and “erstmaligen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #14,796
- “erstmalig” frequency rank
- #34,634
- “erstmaligen” frequency rank
- 49430
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | erstmalig | erstmaligen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | nicht vorher gewesen; niemals vorher stattgefunden habend | Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs erstmalig |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set erstmalig and erstmaligen apart are highlighted. They share 9 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. erstmalig ([ˈeːɐ̯stmaːlɪç]) and erstmaligen ([ˈeːɐ̯stmaːlɪɡn̩]) 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 2 extra letter(s) - “erstmalig” sits inside “erstmaligen”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 49430, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
erstmalig is recorded at frequency rank #14,796, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈeːɐ̯stmaːlɪç]. erstmaligen is at rank #34,634, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈeːɐ̯stmaːlɪɡn̩].
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 49430, this pair ranks #1,211,811 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of erstmalig vs erstmaligen
Shared letters: aegilmrst. Private to "erstmalig": -. Private to "erstmaligen": n.
"erstmalig" · 9 letters · shape VCCCCVCVC · "erstmaligen" · 11 letters · shape VCCCCVCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- erstmalig ← errstmalig · ersmtalig · ersstmalig · erstamlig · erstmailg · erstmalgi · erstmaligg · erstmallig
- erstmaligen ← errstmaligen · ersmtaligen · ersstmaligen · erstamligen · erstmailgen · erstmalgien · erstmaliegn · erstmaligenn
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "erstmalig" and "erstmaligen" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "erstmalig" or "erstmaligen"?
Remembering erstmalig vs erstmaligen
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 “erstmalig” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable