erzählevsErzählersConfusable pair

Quick tell: erzähle is a verb, Erzählers is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“erzähle” is a verb and “Erzählers” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#10,851
“erzähle” frequency rank
#49,637
“Erzählers” frequency rank
60488
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature erzähle Erzählers
Definition 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs erzählen Genitiv Singular des Substantivs Erzähler

Where the eye mixes erzähle and Erzählers

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. erzähle runs 7 letters (VCCVCCV) against Erzählers's 9 (VCCVCCVCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.

7 ch
erzähle
9 ch
Erzählers

Why the eye confuses erzähle with Erzählers

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: erzähle is [ɛɐ̯ˈt͡sɛːlə] while Erzählers is [ɛɐ̯ˈt͡sɛːlɐs]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 extra letter(s) - “erzähle” sits inside “Erzählers”, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 60488, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

erzähle is recorded at frequency rank #10,851, classified as averb, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈt͡sɛːlə]. Erzählers is at rank #49,637, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈt͡sɛːlɐs].

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 60488, this pair ranks #785,120 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of erzähle vs Erzählers

Shared letters: ehlrzä. Private to "erzähle": -. Private to "Erzählers": s.

"erzähle" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCCV  ·  "Erzählers" · 9 letters · shape VCCVCCVCC

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "erzähle" and "Erzählers" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "erzähle" is a verb and "Erzählers" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Frequency check: "erzähle" vs "Erzählers" - which ranks higher?
"erzähle" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #10,851 in our German list, against #49,637 for "Erzählers". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

After this comparison

Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.

  • Full dictionary entry for "erzähle" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "Erzählers" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #785,120 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "erzähle" and "Erzählers" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Erzählerin vs Erzählers". Nearby pair

Confusion rank #785,120 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list