Which to use
“Fersen” is a noun and “fressen” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #19,212
- “Fersen” frequency rank
- #5,482
- “fressen” frequency rank
- 24694
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Fersen | fressen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Ferse | feste Nahrung einnehmen |
Where the eye mixes Fersen and fressen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses Fersen with fressen
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: Fersen is [ˈfɛʁzn̩] while fressen is [ˈfʁɛsn̩]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 24694, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Fersen is recorded at frequency rank #19,212, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈfɛʁzn̩]. fressen is at rank #5,482, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈfʁɛsn̩].
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 24694, this pair ranks #1,844,039 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Fersen vs fressen
Shared letters: efnrs. Private to "Fersen": -. Private to "fressen": -.
"Fersen" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC · "fressen" · 7 letters · shape CCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "Fersen" for "fressen" ever safe?
Which is more common, "Fersen" or "fressen"?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "Fersen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "fressen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,844,039 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Fersen" and "fressen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Fersen vs Fessel". 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 #1,844,039 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.