ErwägungvsErwähnungWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#14,797
“Erwägung” frequency rank
#7,913
“Erwähnung” frequency rank
22710
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Erwägung Erwähnung
Definition das prüfende Nachdenken über etwas oder verschiedene Möglichkeiten, wobei auch die möglichen Folgen bedacht werden Die Tatsache, dass eine Angelegenheit in einem umfassenderen Zusammenhang benannt, angesprochen und eingeordnet wird

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Erwägung and Erwähnung apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
Erwägung
9 ch
Erwähnung

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Erwägung ([ɛɐ̯ˈvɛːɡʊŋ]) and Erwähnung ([ɛɐ̯ˈvɛːnʊŋ]) 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 22710, 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]. Erwähnung is at rank #7,913, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈvɛːnʊŋ].

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 22710, this pair ranks #1,870,731 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Erwägung vs Erwähnung

Shared letters: egnruwä. Private to "Erwägung": -. Private to "Erwähnung": h.

"Erwägung" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCVCC  ·  "Erwähnung" · 9 letters · shape VCCVCCVCC

Frequency comparison

Erwägung#14,797
Erwähnung#7,913

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Erwägung" and "Erwähnung" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ɛɐ̯ˈvɛːɡʊŋ] versus [ɛɐ̯ˈvɛːnʊŋ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Erwägung" or "Erwähnung"?
"Erwähnung" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #7,913 in our German list, against #14,797 for "Erwägung". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Erwägung vs Erwähnung

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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list