messenvsMessersWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: messen is a verb, Messers is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“messen” is a verb and “Messers” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#3,983
“messen” frequency rank
#38,899
“Messers” frequency rank
42882
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature messen Messers
Definition eine Größe mit Hilfe eines Maßes bestimmen Genitiv Singular des Substantivs Messer

Where the spellings diverge

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

6 ch
messen
7 ch
Messers

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: messen is [ˈmɛsn̩] while Messers is [ˈmɛsɐs]. 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 (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 42882, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

messen is recorded at frequency rank #3,983, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈmɛsn̩]. Messers is at rank #38,899, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈmɛsɐs].

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 42882, this pair ranks #1,435,510 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of messen vs Messers

Shared letters: ems. Private to "messen": n. Private to "Messers": r.

"messen" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC  ·  "Messers" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • messenemssen · mesen · mesesn · messenn · messne · meßen · mmessen · msesen
  • Messersemssers · mesers · mesesrs · messerrs · messerss · messesr · messres · meßers

Frequency comparison

messen#3,983
Messers#38,899

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "messen" and "Messers" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "messen" is a verb and "Messers" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "messen" or "Messers"?
"messen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #3,983 in our German list, against #38,899 for "Messers". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering messen vs Messers

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “messen”; for a noun, it's “Messers”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “messen” 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