Which to use
“erzähl” and “erzählt” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #8,705
- “erzähl” frequency rank
- #926
- “erzählt” frequency rank
- 9631
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | erzähl | erzählt |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs erzählen | Partizip Perfekt des Verbs erzählen |
Where the eye mixes erzähl and erzählt
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. erzähl runs 6 letters (VCCVCC) against erzählt's 7 (VCCVCCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses erzähl with erzählt
A purely visual mix-up. erzähl ([ɛɐ̯ˈt͡sɛːl]) and erzählt ([ɛɐ̯ˈt͡sɛːlt]) 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 “erzählt”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 9631, 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]. erzählt is at rank #926, tagged as averb, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈt͡sɛːlt].
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 9631, this pair ranks #1,979,055 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of erzähl vs erzählt
Shared letters: ehlrzä. Private to "erzähl": -. Private to "erzählt": t.
"erzähl" · 6 letters · shape VCCVCC · "erzählt" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCCC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "erzähl" for "erzählt" ever safe?
Which is more common, "erzähl" or "erzählt"?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "erzähl" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "erzählt" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,979,055 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "erzähl" and "erzählt" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "erwählt vs erzähl". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,979,055 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.