erfüllen

[ɛɐ̯ˈfʏlən]

/[ɛɐ̯ˈfʏlən]/ verb

The verdict

“erfüllen” is a regularly-used German word, ranked #2,709 in German word frequency and used as a verb.

#2,709
frequency rank, German
8
letters
10
tracked misspellings
11
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - die Gedanken beherrschen, starke Gefühle auslösen

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

erfüllen vs erfüllt
75% similar
erfüllen vs erfunden
63% similar
erfüllen vs erfüllte
75% similar

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

Key facts for erfüllen
PropertyValue
Headworderfüllen
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ɛɐ̯ˈfʏlən]
Letters8
Frequency rank#2,709
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs11
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “erfüllen” 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). erfüllen 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 erfüllen is 8 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ɛɐ̯ˈfʏlən]. Corpus data places it at rank #2,709 in overall German word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for erfüllen, with forms such as "efrüllen", "erffüllen", and "erflülen". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 11 confusable-pair relationships, "erfüllt", "erfunden", "erfüllte", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct German form is erfüllen, spelled E-R-F-Ü-L-L-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    die Gedanken beherrschen, starke Gefühle auslösen
  2. 2
    etwas Wirklichkeit werden lassen, Wünschen oder Ansprüchen gerecht werden
  3. 3
    Platz einnehmen, sich verbreiten
  4. 4
    auf meist positive Art beschäftigen und so Zeit des Lebens ausfüllen

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: efrüllen,erffüllen,erflülen,erfüleln,erfülen,erfüllenn,erfüllne,errfüllen,erüfllen,refüllen

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of erfüllen - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

efrüllen2erffüllen1erflülen2erfüleln2erfülen1erfüllenn1erfüllne2errfüllen1
Edit distance from "erfüllen"

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 "erfüllen"?
"erfüllen" is spelled E-R-F-Ü-L-L-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ɛɐ̯ˈfʏlən].
What does "erfüllen" mean?
As a verb, "erfüllen" means: die Gedanken beherrschen, starke Gefühle auslösen
What words are commonly confused with "erfüllen"?
"erfüllen" is commonly confused with "erfüllt", "erfunden", "erfüllte". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "erfüllen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "erfüllen" is [ɛɐ̯ˈfʏlən]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "erfüllen" come from?
"erfüllen" is a German word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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 “erfüllen”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is E-R-F-Ü-L-L-E-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ɛɐ̯ˈfʏlən] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “erfüllt” - see the side-by-side comparison. erfüllen vs erfüllt
  • 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