Which to use
“fake” is a verb and “Fakes” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #5,080
- “fake” frequency rank
- #47,380
- “Fakes” frequency rank
- 52460
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | fake | Fakes |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs faken | Genitiv Singular des Substantivs Fake |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set fake and Fakes apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: fake is [ˈfɛɪ̯kə] while Fakes is [fɛɪ̯ks]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “fake” sits inside “Fakes”, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 52460, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
fake is recorded at frequency rank #5,080, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈfɛɪ̯kə]. Fakes is at rank #47,380, tagged as anoun, pronounced [fɛɪ̯ks].
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 52460, this pair ranks #1,096,030 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of fake vs Fakes
Shared letters: aefk. Private to "fake": -. Private to "Fakes": s.
"fake" · 4 letters · shape CVCV · "Fakes" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "fake" and "Fakes" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "fake" or "Fakes"?
Remembering fake vs Fakes
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “fake”; for a noun, it's “Fakes”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “fake” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable