FersevsFersenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#35,767
“Ferse” frequency rank
#19,212
“Fersen” frequency rank
54979
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Ferse Fersen
Definition hinterer Teil des Fußes Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Ferse

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Ferse and Fersen apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
Ferse
6 ch
Fersen

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Ferse ([ˈfɛʁzə]) 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 differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “Ferse” sits inside “Fersen”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 54979, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Ferse is recorded at frequency rank #35,767, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈfɛʁzə]. 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 54979, this pair ranks #997,442 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Ferse vs Fersen

Shared letters: efrs. Private to "Ferse": -. Private to "Fersen": n.

"Ferse" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV  ·  "Fersen" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Ferseefrse · feres · ferrse · fesre · fferse
  • Fersenefrsen · feresn · ferrsen · fersenn · fersne · fesren · ffersen

Frequency comparison

Ferse#35,767
Fersen#19,212

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Ferse" and "Fersen" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈfɛʁzə] versus [ˈfɛʁzn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Ferse" or "Fersen"?
"Fersen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #19,212 in our German list, against #35,767 for "Ferse". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Ferse vs Fersen

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “Ferse” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list