Which to use
“ertragen” and “ertränken” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #4,878
- “ertragen” frequency rank
- #48,860
- “ertränken” frequency rank
- 53738
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | ertragen | ertränken |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | eine unangenehme oder schwierige Situation hinnehmen und deswegen nicht die Beherrschung verlieren oder zusammenbrechen | jemanden oder etwas töten, indem man die Atmungsorgane unter Wasser hält |
Where the eye mixes ertragen and ertränken
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. ertragen runs 8 letters (VCCCVCVC) against ertränken's 9 (VCCCVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between ertragen and ertränken
A purely visual mix-up. ertragen ([ɛɐ̯ˈtʁaːɡn̩]) and ertränken ([ɛɐ̯ˈtʁɛŋkn̩]) 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 53738, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
ertragen is recorded at frequency rank #4,878, classified as averb, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈtʁaːɡn̩]. ertränken is at rank #48,860, tagged as averb, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈtʁɛŋkn̩].
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 53738, this pair ranks #1,046,235 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of ertragen vs ertränken
Shared letters: enrt. Private to "ertragen": ag. Private to "ertränken": kä.
"ertragen" · 8 letters · shape VCCCVCVC · "ertränken" · 9 letters · shape VCCCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- ertragen ← errtagen · errtragen · ertargen · ertraegn · ertragenn · ertraggen · ertragne · ertrgaen
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "ertragen" and "ertränken" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "ertragen" or "ertränken"?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "ertragen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "ertränken" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,046,235 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "ertragen" and "ertränken" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "ertränken vs ertrunken". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #1,046,235 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.