FeigenvsFersenTell them apart

Which to use

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

#23,121
“Feigen” frequency rank
#19,212
“Fersen” frequency rank
42333
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Feigen Fersen
Definition Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Feige Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Ferse

Where the eye mixes Feigen and Fersen

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence. Feigen (CVVCVC) and Fersen (CVCCVC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.

6 ch
Feigen
6 ch
Fersen

Visual trap between Feigen and Fersen

A purely visual mix-up. Feigen ([ˈfaɪ̯ɡn̩]) and Fersen ([ˈfɛʁzn̩]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 42333, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Feigen is recorded at frequency rank #23,121, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈfaɪ̯ɡn̩]. Fersen is at rank #19,212, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈfɛʁzn̩].

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 42333, this pair ranks #1,452,608 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Feigen vs Fersen

Shared letters: efn. Private to "Feigen": gi. Private to "Fersen": rs.

"Feigen" · 6 letters · shape CVVCVC  ·  "Fersen" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Feigen ← efigen · fegien · feiegn · feigenn · feiggen · feigne · ffeigen · fiegen
  • Fersen ← efrsen · feresn · ferrsen · fersenn · fersne · fesren · ffersen

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Feigen" and "Fersen" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈfaɪ̯ɡn̩] versus [ˈfɛʁzn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Feigen" or "Fersen"?
"Fersen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #19,212 in our German list, against #23,121 for "Feigen". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

After this comparison

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

  • Full dictionary entry for "Feigen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "Fersen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #1,452,608 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "Feigen" and "Fersen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Feigen vs Felge". 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 #1,452,608 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