Which to use
“erzähl” and “erzähle” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #8,705
- “erzähl” frequency rank
- #10,851
- “erzähle” frequency rank
- 19556
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | erzähl | erzähle |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs erzählen | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs erzählen |
Where the eye mixes erzähl and erzähle
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. erzähl runs 6 letters (VCCVCC) against erzähle's 7 (VCCVCCV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses erzähl with erzähle
A purely visual mix-up. erzähl ([ɛɐ̯ˈt͡sɛːl]) and erzähle ([ɛɐ̯ˈt͡sɛːlə]) 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 extra letter(s) - “erzähl” sits inside “erzähle”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 19556, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
erzähl is recorded at frequency rank #8,705, classified as averb, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈt͡sɛːl]. erzähle is at rank #10,851, tagged as averb, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈt͡sɛːlə].
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 19556, this pair ranks #1,907,114 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of erzähl vs erzähle
Shared letters: ehlrzä. Private to "erzähl": -. Private to "erzähle": -.
"erzähl" · 6 letters · shape VCCVCC · "erzähle" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "erzähl" and "erzähle" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "erzähl" vs "erzähle" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Eye-level mix-up between "erzähl" and "erzähle" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "erzähl" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "erzähle" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,907,114 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "erzähl" and "erzähle" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "erzähle vs Erzählers". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,907,114 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.