FigurvsFuturWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#2,391
“Figur” frequency rank
#45,946
“Futur” frequency rank
48337
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Figur Futur
Definition Körperform, menschliche Gestalt Zeitform des Verbs, die Zukünftiges kennzeichnet

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Figur and Futur apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
Figur
5 ch
Futur

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Figur ([fiˈɡuːɐ̯]) and Futur ([fuˈtuːɐ̯]) 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 48337, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Figur is recorded at frequency rank #2,391, classified as anoun, pronounced [fiˈɡuːɐ̯]. Futur is at rank #45,946, tagged as anoun, pronounced [fuˈtuːɐ̯].

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 48337, this pair ranks #1,252,224 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Figur vs Futur

Shared letters: fru. Private to "Figur": gi. Private to "Futur": t.

"Figur" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC  ·  "Futur" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Figurffigur · fgiur · figgur · figru · figurr · fiugr · ifgur
  • Futurffutur · ftuur · futru · futtur · futurr · fuutr · uftur

Frequency comparison

Figur#2,391
Futur#45,946

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Figur" and "Futur" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([fiˈɡuːɐ̯] versus [fuˈtuːɐ̯]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Figur" or "Futur"?
"Figur" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #2,391 in our German list, against #45,946 for "Futur". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering Figur vs Futur

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 “Figur” 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