Which to use
“erwähnen” is a verb and “Erwähnung” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #4,697
- “erwähnen” frequency rank
- #7,913
- “Erwähnung” frequency rank
- 12610
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | erwähnen | Erwähnung |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | etwas nebenbei und beiläufig aussprechen/anführen, zur Sprache bringen | Die Tatsache, dass eine Angelegenheit in einem umfassenderen Zusammenhang benannt, angesprochen und eingeordnet wird |
Where the eye mixes erwähnen and Erwähnung
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. erwähnen runs 8 letters (VCCVCCVC) against Erwähnung's 9 (VCCVCCVCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses erwähnen with Erwähnung
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: erwähnen is [ɛɐ̯ˈvɛːnən] while Erwähnung is [ɛɐ̯ˈvɛːnʊŋ]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 12610, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
erwähnen is recorded at frequency rank #4,697, classified as averb, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈvɛːnən]. 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 12610, this pair ranks #1,963,133 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of erwähnen vs Erwähnung
Shared letters: ehnrwä. Private to "erwähnen": -. Private to "Erwähnung": gu.
"erwähnen" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCCVC · "Erwähnung" · 9 letters · shape VCCVCCVCC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "erwähnen" and "Erwähnung" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary German text, does "erwähnen" or "Erwähnung" show up more?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "erwähnen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Erwähnung" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,963,133 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "erwähnen" and "Erwähnung" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "erwähnen vs erwähnst". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,963,133 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.