ersteren

[ˈeːɐ̯stəʁən]

/[ˈeːɐ̯stəʁən]/ adj

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

The verdict

“ersteren” has 12 generated spelling variants in the German index at frequency #37,503. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#37,503
frequency rank, German
57,060
“E” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
11
confusable pairs

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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

ersteren vs ersteres
88% similar
ersteren vs ersterer
88% similar
ersteren vs ersten
75% similar

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

Key facts for ersteren
PropertyValue
Headwordersteren
LanguageGerman
Part of speechAdjective
IPA[ˈeːɐ̯stəʁən]
Letters8
Frequency rank#37,503
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs11
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “ersteren” 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). ersteren lands here:

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

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around ersteren (IPA [ˈeːɐ̯stəʁən]), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #37,503 among 57,060 “E” headwords. Wiktionary lists 12 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for ersteren, with forms such as "errsteren", "ersetren", and "erssteren". 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 11 confusable-pair relationships, "ersteres", "ersterer", "ersten", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct German form is ersteren, spelled E-R-S-T-E-R-E-N.

Definition

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

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • errsteren
  • ersetren
  • erssteren
  • ersteern
  • ersterenn
  • ersterne
  • ersterren
  • erstreen
  • erstteren
  • ertseren
  • esrteren
  • resteren

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of ersteren - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

errsteren1ersetren2erssteren1ersteern2ersterenn1ersterne2ersterren1erstreen2
Edit distance from "ersteren"

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 "ersteren"?
"ersteren" is spelled E-R-S-T-E-R-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈeːɐ̯stəʁən].
What does "ersteren" mean?
As an adjective, "ersteren" means: Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs erstere
What words are commonly confused with "ersteren"?
"ersteren" is commonly confused with "ersteres", "ersterer", "ersten". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "ersteren"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ersteren" is [ˈeːɐ̯stəʁən]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "ersteren" come from?
"ersteren" 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 “ersteren”

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

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

Same frequency band

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