ersten

Name: ersten, German Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

[ˈeːɐ̯stn̩]

/[ˈeːɐ̯stn̩]/ adj

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“ersten” is in the everyday core of German, ranked #160 in German word frequency and used as an adjective.

#160
frequency rank, German: 6
letters: 8
tracked misspellings: 20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Flexion des Positivs des Adjektivs erste

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

ersten vs Este

50% similar

ersten vs essen

67% similar

ersten vs Ester

50% similar

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

Key facts for ersten
Property	Value
Headword	ersten
Language	German
Part of speech	Adjective
IPA	[ˈeːɐ̯stn̩]
Letters	6
Frequency rank	#160
Misspellings tracked	8
Confusable pairs	20
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “ersten” 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). ersten lands here:

#160

#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 ersten is 6 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈeːɐ̯stn̩]. Corpus data places it at rank #160 in overall German word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 12 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for ersten, with forms such as "errsten", "ersetn", and "erssten". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "Este", "essen", "Ester", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

This headword's origin isn't recorded in our source data, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct German form is ersten, spelled E-R-S-T-E-N.

Definition

1
Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Flexion des Positivs des Adjektivs erste
2
Akkusativ Singular Maskulinum der starken Flexion des Positivs des Adjektivs erste
3
Genitiv Singular Neutrum der starken Flexion des Positivs des Adjektivs erste
4
Dativ Plural alle Genera der starken Flexion des Positivs des Adjektivs erste
5
Genitiv Singular alle Genera der schwachen Flexion des Positivs des Adjektivs erste
6
Dativ Singular alle Genera der schwachen Flexion des Positivs des Adjektivs erste
7
Akkusativ Singular Maskulinum der schwachen Flexion des Positivs des Adjektivs erste
8
Alle Kasus Plural alle Genera der schwachen Flexion des Positivs des Adjektivs erste
9
Genitiv Singular alle Genera der gemischten Flexion des Positivs des Adjektivs erste
10
Dativ Singular alle Genera der gemischten Flexion des Positivs des Adjektivs erste
11
Akkusativ Singular Maskulinum der gemischten Flexion des Positivs des Adjektivs erste
12
Alle Kasus Plural alle Genera der gemischten Flexion des Positivs des Adjektivs erste

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: errsten,ersetn,erssten,erstenn,erstne,erstten,ertsen,esrten

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

Edit distance from "ersten"

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 "ersten"?

"ersten" is spelled E-R-S-T-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈeːɐ̯stn̩].

What does "ersten" mean?

As an adjective, "ersten" means: Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Flexion des Positivs des Adjektivs erste

What words are commonly confused with "ersten"?

"ersten" is commonly confused with "Este", "essen", "Ester". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "ersten"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ersten" is [ˈeːɐ̯stn̩]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.

What language does "ersten" come from?

"ersten" 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 “ersten”

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

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