Which to use
“erwähnten” and “erzählten” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #8,203
- “erwähnten” frequency rank
- #16,694
- “erzählten” frequency rank
- 24897
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | erwähnten | erzählten |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Flexion des Positivs des Adjektivs erwähnt | Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Flexion des Positivs des Adjektivs erzählt |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set erwähnten and erzählten apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. erwähnten ([ɛɐ̯ˈvɛːntn̩]) and erzählten ([ɛɐ̯ˈt͡sɛːltn̩]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 24897, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
erwähnten is recorded at frequency rank #8,203, classified as anadj, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈvɛːntn̩]. erzählten is at rank #16,694, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈt͡sɛːltn̩].
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 24897, this pair ranks #1,841,051 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of erwähnten vs erzählten
Shared letters: ehnrtä. Private to "erwähnten": w. Private to "erzählten": lz.
"erwähnten" · 9 letters · shape VCCVCCCVC · "erzählten" · 9 letters · shape VCCVCCCVC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "erwähnten" and "erzählten" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "erwähnten" or "erzählten"?
Remembering erwähnten vs erzählten
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 “erwähnten” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable