Which to use
“erzähle” is a verb and “erzählten” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #10,851
- “erzähle” frequency rank
- #16,694
- “erzählten” frequency rank
- 27545
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | erzähle | erzählten |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs erzählen | Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Flexion des Positivs des Adjektivs erzählt |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set erzähle and erzählten apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: erzähle is [ɛɐ̯ˈt͡sɛːlə] while erzählten is [ɛɐ̯ˈt͡sɛːltn̩]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 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 27545, 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]. erzählten is at rank #16,694, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈt͡sɛːltn̩].
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 27545, this pair ranks #1,800,006 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of erzähle vs erzählten
Shared letters: ehlrzä. Private to "erzähle": -. Private to "erzählten": nt.
"erzähle" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCCV · "erzählten" · 9 letters · shape VCCVCCCVC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "erzähle" and "erzählten" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "erzähle" or "erzählten"?
Remembering erzähle vs erzählten
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “erzähle”; for an adjective, it's “erzählten”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “erzähle” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable