Which to use
“Erzählung” and “Erzählungen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #6,180
- “Erzählung” frequency rank
- #7,314
- “Erzählungen” frequency rank
- 13494
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Erzählung | Erzählungen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Darstellung eines Ereignisses, Vorkommnisses | Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Erzählung |
Where the eye mixes Erzählung and Erzählungen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 9 letters in sequence. Erzählung runs 9 letters (VCCVCCVCC) against Erzählungen's 11 (VCCVCCVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses Erzählung with Erzählungen
A purely visual mix-up. Erzählung ([ɛɐ̯ˈt͡sɛːlʊŋ]) and Erzählungen ([ɛɐ̯ˈt͡sɛːlʊŋən]) 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 2 extra letter(s) - “Erzählung” sits inside “Erzählungen”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 13494, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Erzählung is recorded at frequency rank #6,180, classified as anoun, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈt͡sɛːlʊŋ]. Erzählungen is at rank #7,314, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ɛɐ̯ˈt͡sɛːlʊŋən].
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 13494, this pair ranks #1,957,628 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Erzählung vs Erzählungen
Shared letters: eghlnruzä. Private to "Erzählung": -. Private to "Erzählungen": -.
"Erzählung" · 9 letters · shape VCCVCCVCC · "Erzählungen" · 11 letters · shape VCCVCCVCCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "Erzählung" and "Erzählungen" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Frequency check: "Erzählung" vs "Erzählungen" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "Erzählung" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Erzählungen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,957,628 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Erzählung" and "Erzählungen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Erwähnungen vs Erzählungen". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,957,628 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.