Which to use
“gun” and “guns” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #20,283
- “gun” frequency rank
- #34,148
- “guns” frequency rank
- 54431
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | gun | guns |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Feuerwaffe, Schusswaffe | Plural des Substantivs gun |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set gun and guns apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. gun ([ɡʌn]) and guns ([ɡʌnz]) 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) - “gun” sits inside “guns”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 54431, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
gun is recorded at frequency rank #20,283, classified as anoun, pronounced [ɡʌn]. guns is at rank #34,148, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ɡʌnz].
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 54431, this pair ranks #1,019,180 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of gun vs guns
Shared letters: gnu. Private to "gun": -. Private to "guns": s.
"gun" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "guns" · 4 letters · shape CVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
- guns ← gguns · gnus · gunns · gunss · gusn · ugns
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "gun" and "guns" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "gun" or "guns"?
Remembering gun vs guns
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 “gun” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable