erschrak

[ɛɐ̯ˈʃʁaːk]

/[ɛɐ̯ˈʃʁaːk]/ verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

The verdict

“erschrak” is uncommon German (frequency #62,374 among 57,060 “E” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#62,374
frequency rank, German
57,060
“E” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs erschrecken

Key facts for erschrak
PropertyValue
Headworderschrak
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ɛɐ̯ˈʃʁaːk]
Letters8
Frequency rank#62,374
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “erschrak” 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). erschrak lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

erschrak is uncommon German at frequency #62,374 among 57,060 “E” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed [ɛɐ̯ˈʃʁaːk]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for erschrak in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct German form is erschrak, spelled E-R-S-C-H-R-A-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs erschrecken
  2. 2
    3. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs erschrecken

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 "erschrak"?
"erschrak" is spelled E-R-S-C-H-R-A-K. The IPA pronunciation is [ɛɐ̯ˈʃʁaːk].
What does "erschrak" mean?
As a verb, "erschrak" means: 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs erschrecken
How do you pronounce "erschrak"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "erschrak" is [ɛɐ̯ˈʃʁaːk]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "erschrak" come from?
"erschrak" 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 “erschrak”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is E-R-S-C-H-R-A-K - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ɛɐ̯ˈʃʁaːk] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more German words and confusable pairs in the same reference. German words

Other uncommon German words near this rank

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