erwachen

[ɛɐ̯ˈvaxn̩]

/[ɛɐ̯ˈvaxn̩]/ verb

The verdict

“erwachen” is a moderately-common German word, ranked #12,069 in German word frequency and used as a verb.

#12,069
frequency rank, German
8
letters
12
tracked misspellings
15
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - aufhören zu schlafen; wach werden

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

erwachen vs erwacht
75% similar
erwachen vs erwägen
63% similar
erwachen vs erwarten
75% similar

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

Key facts for erwachen
PropertyValue
Headworderwachen
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ɛɐ̯ˈvaxn̩]
Letters8
Frequency rank#12,069
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs15
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “erwachen” 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). erwachen 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 erwachen is 8 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ɛɐ̯ˈvaxn̩]. Corpus data places it at rank #12,069 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 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 erwachen, with forms such as "erawchen", "errwachen", and "erwacchen". 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 15 confusable-pair relationships, "erwacht", "erwägen", "erwarten", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct German form is erwachen, spelled E-R-W-A-C-H-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    aufhören zu schlafen; wach werden
  2. 2
    sich in jemandem zu entwickeln beginnen (ein Interesse, eine Leidenschaft für etwas)
  3. 3
    ins Dasein treten, anfangen sich zu entwickeln
  4. 4
    in anderen, meist fortgeschrittenen Zustand kommen, zu Bewusstsein/Erkenntnis kommen

Synonyms

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: erawchen,errwachen,erwacchen,erwacehn,erwachenn,erwachhen,erwachne,erwahcen,erwcahen,erwwachen,ewrachen,rewachen

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of erwachen - 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.

erawchen2errwachen1erwacchen1erwacehn2erwachenn1erwachhen1erwachne2erwahcen2
Edit distance from "erwachen"

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 "erwachen"?
"erwachen" is spelled E-R-W-A-C-H-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ɛɐ̯ˈvaxn̩].
What does "erwachen" mean?
As a verb, "erwachen" means: aufhören zu schlafen; wach werden
What words are commonly confused with "erwachen"?
"erwachen" is commonly confused with "erwacht", "erwägen", "erwarten". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "erwachen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "erwachen" is [ɛɐ̯ˈvaxn̩]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "erwachen" come from?
"erwachen" 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 “erwachen”

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

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