DatumvsDatumsWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#3,303
“Datum” frequency rank
#37,443
“Datums” frequency rank
40746
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Datum Datums
Definition Angabe des Kalendertages Genitiv Singular des Substantivs Datum

Where the eye mixes Datum and Datums

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence.

5 ch
Datum
6 ch
Datums

Visual trap between Datum and Datums

A purely visual mix-up. Datum ([ˈdaːtʊm]) and Datums ([ˈdaːtʊms]) 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 extra letter(s) - “Datum” sits inside “Datums”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 40746, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Datum is recorded at frequency rank #3,303, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈdaːtʊm]. Datums is at rank #37,443, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈdaːtʊms].

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 40746, this pair ranks #1,499,526 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Datum vs Datums

Shared letters: admtu. Private to "Datum": -. Private to "Datums": s.

"Datum" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC  ·  "Datums" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Datumadtum · datmu · dattum · datumm · dautm · ddatum · dtaum
  • Datumsadtums · datmus · dattums · datumms · datumss · datusm · dautms · ddatums

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Datum" and "Datums" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈdaːtʊm] versus [ˈdaːtʊms]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Frequency check: "Datum" vs "Datums" - which ranks higher?
"Datum" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #3,303 in our German list, against #37,443 for "Datums". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

What to do next

Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.

  • Full dictionary entry for "Datum" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "Datums" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #1,499,526 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "Datum" and "Datums" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Datums vs drums". Nearby pair
  • 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 #1,499,526 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