erfuhren
[ɛɐ̯ˈfuːʁən]
The verdict
“erfuhren” is a moderately-common German word, ranked #15,343 in German word frequency and used as a verb.
- #15,343
- frequency rank, German
- 8
- letters
- 12
- tracked misspellings
- 11
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - 1. Person Plural Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs erfahren
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | erfuhren |
| Language | German |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | [ɛɐ̯ˈfuːʁən] |
| Letters | 8 |
| Frequency rank | #15,343 |
| Misspellings tracked | 12 |
| Confusable pairs | 11 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “erfuhren” sits in German frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The German entry for erfuhren is 8 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ɛɐ̯ˈfuːʁən]. Corpus data places it at rank #15,343 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for erfuhren, with forms such as "efruhren", "erffuhren", and "erfhuren". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 11 confusable-pair relationships, "erfüllen", "erfunden", "ernähren", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.
This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct German form is erfuhren, spelled E-R-F-U-H-R-E-N.
Definition
- 11. Person Plural Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs erfahren
- 23. Person Plural Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs erfahren
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: efruhren,erffuhren,erfhuren,erfuhern,erfuhhren,erfuhrenn,erfuhrne,erfuhrren,erfurhen,errfuhren,erufhren,refuhren
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of erfuhren - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.
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 "erfuhren"?
What does "erfuhren" mean?
What words are commonly confused with "erfuhren"?
How do you pronounce "erfuhren"?
What language does "erfuhren" come from?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “erfuhren”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct German spelling is E-R-F-U-H-R-E-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as [ɛɐ̯ˈfuːʁən] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “erfüllen” - see the side-by-side comparison. erfuhren vs erfüllen
- 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.