Which to use
“erwachsen” is an adjective and “Erwachsenen” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #5,704
- “erwachsen” frequency rank
- #3,725
- “Erwachsenen” frequency rank
- 9429
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | erwachsen | Erwachsenen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | aus dem Kindesalter heraus, über das Jugendalter hinausgewachsen | Genitiv Singular der starken Flexion des Substantivs Erwachsener |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set erwachsen and Erwachsenen apart are highlighted. They share 9 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: erwachsen is [ɛɐ̯ˈvaksn̩] while Erwachsenen is [ɛɐ̯ˈvaksənən]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “erwachsen” sits inside “Erwachsenen”, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 9429, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
erwachsen is recorded at frequency rank #5,704, classified as anadj, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈvaksn̩]. Erwachsenen is at rank #3,725, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈvaksənən].
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 9429, this pair ranks #1,979,978 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of erwachsen vs Erwachsenen
Shared letters: acehnrsw. Private to "erwachsen": -. Private to "Erwachsenen": -.
"erwachsen" · 9 letters · shape VCCVCCCVC · "Erwachsenen" · 11 letters · shape VCCVCCCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- erwachsen ← erawchsen · errwachsen · erwacchsen · erwachesn · erwachhsen · erwachsenn · erwachsne · erwachssen
- Erwachsenen ← erawchsenen · errwachsenen · erwacchsenen · erwachesnen · erwachhsenen · erwachseenn · erwachsenenn · erwachsennen
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "erwachsen" and "Erwachsenen" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "erwachsen" or "Erwachsenen"?
Remembering erwachsen vs Erwachsenen
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “erwachsen”; for a noun, it's “Erwachsenen”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “erwachsen” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable