ErzählervserzählstWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: Erzähler is a noun, erzählst is a verb, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“Erzähler” is a noun and “erzählst” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#10,274
“Erzähler” frequency rank
#18,531
“erzählst” frequency rank
28805
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Erzähler erzählst
Definition Person, die etwas erzählt 2. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs erzählen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Erzähler and erzählst apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
Erzähler
8 ch
erzählst

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: Erzähler is [ɛɐ̯ˈt͡sɛːlɐ] while erzählst is [ɛɐ̯ˈt͡sɛːlst]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 28805, 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]. erzählst is at rank #18,531, tagged as averb, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈt͡sɛːlst].

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 28805, this pair ranks #1,778,262 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Erzähler vs erzählst

Shared letters: ehlrzä. Private to "Erzähler": -. Private to "erzählst": st.

"Erzähler" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCCVC  ·  "erzählst" · 8 letters · shape VCCVCCCC

Frequency comparison

Erzähler#10,274
erzählst#18,531

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Erzähler" and "erzählst" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "Erzähler" is a noun and "erzählst" a verb, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "Erzähler" or "erzählst"?
"Erzähler" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #10,274 in our German list, against #18,531 for "erzählst". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Erzähler vs erzählst

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “Erzähler”; for a verb, it's “erzählst”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “Erzähler” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list