ArbeitsvertragvsArbeitsverträgeTell them apart

Which to use

“Arbeitsvertrag” and “Arbeitsverträge” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#20,829
“Arbeitsvertrag” frequency rank
#42,343
“Arbeitsverträge” frequency rank
63172
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Arbeitsvertrag Arbeitsverträge
Definition ein Vertrag zwischen Arbeitnehmer und Arbeitgeber, der wesentliche tarifliche oder außertarifliche Abmachungen, im rechtlichen Rahmen, schriftlich festhält Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Arbeitsvertrag

Where the eye mixes Arbeitsvertrag and Arbeitsverträge

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 13 letters in sequence. Arbeitsvertrag runs 14 letters (VCCVVCCCVCCCVC) against Arbeitsverträge's 15 (VCCVVCCCVCCCVCV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.

14 ch
Arbeitsvertrag
15 ch
Arbeitsverträge

Visual trap between Arbeitsvertrag and Arbeitsverträge

A purely visual mix-up. Arbeitsvertrag ([ˈaʁbaɪ̯t͡sfɛɐ̯ˌtʁaːk]) and Arbeitsverträge ([ˈaʁbaɪ̯t͡sfɛɐ̯ˌtʁɛːɡə]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 63172, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Arbeitsvertrag is recorded at frequency rank #20,829, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈaʁbaɪ̯t͡sfɛɐ̯ˌtʁaːk]. Arbeitsverträge is at rank #42,343, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈaʁbaɪ̯t͡sfɛɐ̯ˌtʁɛːɡə].

Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.

With a confusion score of 63172, this pair ranks #686,217 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Arbeitsvertrag vs Arbeitsverträge

Shared letters: abegirstv. Private to "Arbeitsvertrag": -. Private to "Arbeitsverträge": ä.

"Arbeitsvertrag" · 14 letters · shape VCCVVCCCVCCCVC  ·  "Arbeitsverträge" · 15 letters · shape VCCVVCCCVCCCVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Arbeitsvertrag ← abreitsvertrag · arbbeitsvertrag · arbeistvertrag · arbeitsevrtrag · arbeitssvertrag · arbeitsverrtag · arbeitsverrtrag · arbeitsvertarg

Frequently Asked Questions

Is swapping "Arbeitsvertrag" for "Arbeitsverträge" ever safe?
No. They are said differently ([ˈaʁbaɪ̯t͡sfɛɐ̯ˌtʁaːk] versus [ˈaʁbaɪ̯t͡sfɛɐ̯ˌtʁɛːɡə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
In ordinary German text, does "Arbeitsvertrag" or "Arbeitsverträge" show up more?
"Arbeitsvertrag" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #20,829 in our German list, against #42,343 for "Arbeitsverträge". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Useful next steps

Eye-level mix-up between "Arbeitsvertrag" and "Arbeitsverträge" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.

  • Full dictionary entry for "Arbeitsvertrag" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "Arbeitsverträge" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #686,217 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes

Confusion rank #686,217 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list