Which to use
“erzähle” is a verb and “erzählte” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #10,851
- “erzähle” frequency rank
- #3,958
- “erzählte” frequency rank
- 14809
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | erzähle | erzählte |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs erzählen | Nominativ Singular Femininum der starken Flexion des Positivs des Adjektivs erzählt |
Where the eye mixes erzähle and erzählte
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. erzähle runs 7 letters (VCCVCCV) against erzählte's 8 (VCCVCCCV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses erzähle with erzählte
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: erzähle is [ɛɐ̯ˈt͡sɛːlə] while erzählte is [ɛɐ̯ˈt͡sɛːltə]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 14809, 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]. erzählte is at rank #3,958, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈt͡sɛːltə].
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 14809, this pair ranks #1,948,576 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of erzähle vs erzählte
Shared letters: ehlrzä. Private to "erzähle": -. Private to "erzählte": t.
"erzähle" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCCV · "erzählte" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCCCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "erzähle" and "erzählte" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary German text, does "erzähle" or "erzählte" show up more?
After this comparison
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 "erzählte" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,948,576 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "erzähle" and "erzählte" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "erzähle vs Erzählers". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,948,576 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.