Which to use
“erzählen” is a verb and “Erzählung” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #1,659
- “erzählen” frequency rank
- #6,180
- “Erzählung” frequency rank
- 7839
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | erzählen | Erzählung |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | schriftlich oder mündlich ein Erlebnis oder Vorkommnis anschaulich zur Darstellung bringen | Darstellung eines Ereignisses, Vorkommnisses |
Where the eye mixes erzählen and Erzählung
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence. erzählen runs 8 letters (VCCVCCVC) against Erzählung's 9 (VCCVCCVCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses erzählen with Erzählung
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: erzählen is [ɛɐ̯ˈt͡sɛːlən] while Erzählung is [ɛɐ̯ˈt͡sɛːlʊŋ]. 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 noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 7839, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
erzählen is recorded at frequency rank #1,659, classified as averb, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈt͡sɛːlən]. Erzählung is at rank #6,180, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈt͡sɛːlʊŋ].
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 7839, this pair ranks #1,986,687 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of erzählen vs Erzählung
Shared letters: ehlnrzä. Private to "erzählen": -. Private to "Erzählung": gu.
"erzählen" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCCVC · "Erzählung" · 9 letters · shape VCCVCCVCC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "erzählen" for "Erzählung" ever safe?
Which is more common, "erzählen" or "Erzählung"?
Useful next steps
Eye-level mix-up between "erzählen" and "Erzählung" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "erzählen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Erzählung" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,986,687 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "erzählen" and "Erzählung" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "erzählen vs Erzählers". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,986,687 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.