erfolgen

[ɛɐ̯ˈfɔlɡn̩]

/[ɛɐ̯ˈfɔlɡn̩]/ verb

The verdict

“erfolgen” is a regularly-used German word, ranked #2,589 in German word frequency and used as a verb.

#2,589
frequency rank, German
8
letters
12
tracked misspellings
14
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - stattfinden, sich ereignen, getan werden (der Inhalt des Tuns steckt im Subjekt des Satzes)

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

erfolgen vs erfolgt
75% similar
erfolgen vs erzogen
75% similar
erfolgen vs erholen
75% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for erfolgen
PropertyValue
Headworderfolgen
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ɛɐ̯ˈfɔlɡn̩]
Letters8
Frequency rank#2,589
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs14
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “erfolgen” sits in German frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). erfolgen lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The German entry for erfolgen is 8 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ɛɐ̯ˈfɔlɡn̩]. Corpus data places it at rank #2,589 in overall German word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "stattfinden, sich ereignen, getan werden (der Inhalt des Tuns steckt im Subjekt des Satzes)".

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for erfolgen, with forms such as "efrolgen", "erffolgen", and "erflogen". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 14 confusable-pair relationships, "erfolgt", "erzogen", "erholen", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so spelling patterns must be inferred from the word's phoneme-to-grapheme mapping rather than from a documented borrowing chain. The correct German form is erfolgen, spelled E-R-F-O-L-G-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    stattfinden, sich ereignen, getan werden (der Inhalt des Tuns steckt im Subjekt des Satzes)

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: efrolgen,erffolgen,erflogen,erfoglen,erfolegn,erfolgenn,erfolggen,erfolgne,erfollgen,eroflgen,errfolgen,refolgen

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of erfolgen - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

efrolgen2erffolgen1erflogen2erfoglen2erfolegn2erfolgenn1erfolggen1erfolgne2
Edit distance from "erfolgen"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 German corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "erfolgen"?
"erfolgen" is spelled E-R-F-O-L-G-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ɛɐ̯ˈfɔlɡn̩].
What does "erfolgen" mean?
As a verb, "erfolgen" means: stattfinden, sich ereignen, getan werden (der Inhalt des Tuns steckt im Subjekt des Satzes)
What words are commonly confused with "erfolgen"?
"erfolgen" is commonly confused with "erfolgt", "erzogen", "erholen". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "erfolgen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "erfolgen" is [ɛɐ̯ˈfɔlɡn̩]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "erfolgen" come from?
"erfolgen" is a German word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “erfolgen”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct German spelling is E-R-F-O-L-G-E-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ɛɐ̯ˈfɔlɡn̩] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “erfolgt” - see the side-by-side comparison. erfolgen vs erfolgt
  • Browse more German words and confusable pairs in the same reference. German words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list