ErwägungvsErwägungenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“Erwägung” and “Erwägungen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#14,797
“Erwägung” frequency rank
#26,394
“Erwägungen” frequency rank
41191
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Erwägung Erwägungen
Definition das prüfende Nachdenken über etwas oder verschiedene Möglichkeiten, wobei auch die möglichen Folgen bedacht werden Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Erwägung

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Erwägung and Erwägungen apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
Erwägung
10 ch
Erwägungen

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Erwägung ([ɛɐ̯ˈvɛːɡʊŋ]) and Erwägungen ([ɛɐ̯ˈvɛːɡʊŋən]) 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) - “Erwägung” sits inside “Erwägungen”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 41191, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Erwägung is recorded at frequency rank #14,797, classified as anoun, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈvɛːɡʊŋ]. Erwägungen is at rank #26,394, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈvɛːɡʊŋən].

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 41191, this pair ranks #1,486,700 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Erwägung vs Erwägungen

Shared letters: egnruwä. Private to "Erwägung": -. Private to "Erwägungen": -.

"Erwägung" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCVCC  ·  "Erwägungen" · 10 letters · shape VCCVCVCCVC

Frequency comparison

Erwägung#14,797
Erwägungen#26,394

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Erwägung" and "Erwägungen" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ɛɐ̯ˈvɛːɡʊŋ] versus [ɛɐ̯ˈvɛːɡʊŋən]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Erwägung" or "Erwägungen"?
"Erwägung" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #14,797 in our German list, against #26,394 for "Erwägungen". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Erwägung vs Erwägungen

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 “Erwägung” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list