Which to use
“erzähle” and “erzählt” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #10,851
- “erzähle” frequency rank
- #926
- “erzählt” frequency rank
- 11777
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | erzähle | erzählt |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs erzählen | Partizip Perfekt des Verbs erzählen |
Where the eye mixes erzähle and erzählt
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. erzähle (VCCVCCV) and erzählt (VCCVCCC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Look-alike desk: erzähle vs erzählt
A purely visual mix-up. erzähle ([ɛɐ̯ˈt͡sɛːlə]) 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 a single letter - e in “erzähle” becomes t in “erzählt”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 11777, 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]. 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 11777, this pair ranks #1,967,959 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of erzähle vs erzählt
Shared letters: ehlrzä. Private to "erzähle": -. Private to "erzählt": t.
"erzähle" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCCV · "erzählt" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCCC
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "erzähle" and "erzählt" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Frequency check: "erzähle" vs "erzählt" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "erzähle" 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 #1,967,959 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "erzähle" and "erzählt" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "erzähle vs Erzählers". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,967,959 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.