ErzählervsErzählersConfusable pair

Which to use

“Erzähler” and “Erzählers” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#10,274
“Erzähler” frequency rank
#49,637
“Erzählers” frequency rank
59911
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Erzähler Erzählers
Definition Person, die etwas erzählt Genitiv Singular des Substantivs Erzähler

Where the eye mixes Erzähler and Erzählers

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 8 letters in sequence. Erzähler runs 8 letters (VCCVCCVC) against Erzählers's 9 (VCCVCCVCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.

8 ch
Erzähler
9 ch
Erzählers

Why the eye confuses Erzähler with Erzählers

A purely visual mix-up. Erzähler ([ɛɐ̯ˈt͡sɛːlɐ]) and Erzählers ([ɛɐ̯ˈt͡sɛːlɐs]) 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 1 extra letter(s) - “Erzähler” sits inside “Erzählers”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 59911, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Erzähler is recorded at frequency rank #10,274, classified as anoun, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈt͡sɛːlɐ]. 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 59911, this pair ranks #806,715 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Erzähler vs Erzählers

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

"Erzähler" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCCVC  ·  "Erzählers" · 9 letters · shape VCCVCCVCC

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Erzähler" and "Erzählers" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ɛɐ̯ˈt͡sɛːlɐ] versus [ɛɐ̯ˈt͡sɛːlɐs]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Erzähler" or "Erzählers"?
"Erzähler" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #10,274 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.

Useful next steps

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

  • Full dictionary entry for "Erzähler" 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 #806,715 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "Erzähler" and "Erzählers" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Erzählerin vs Erzählers". Nearby pair

Confusion rank #806,715 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