Which to use
“öfter” is an unknown and “öfters” is an adverb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #2,574
- “öfter” frequency rank
- #5,672
- “öfters” frequency rank
- 8246
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | öfter | öfters |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Komparativ des Adverbs oft | zu mehreren unbestimmten, regelmäßigen oder unregelmäßigen Zeitpunkten oder Zeitabschnitten |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set öfter and öfters apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: öfter is [ˈœftɐ] while öfters is [ˈœftɐs]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “öfter” sits inside “öfters”, and the parts of speech differ too (unknown vs adverb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 8246, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
öfter is recorded at frequency rank #2,574, classified as anunknown, pronounced [ˈœftɐ]. öfters is at rank #5,672, tagged as anadv, pronounced [ˈœftɐs].
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 8246, this pair ranks #1,985,054 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of öfter vs öfters
Shared letters: efrtö. Private to "öfter": -. Private to "öfters": s.
"öfter" · 5 letters · shape VCCVC · "öfters" · 6 letters · shape VCCVCC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "öfter" and "öfters" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "öfter" or "öfters"?
Remembering öfter vs öfters
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an unknown, it's “öfter”; for an adverb, it's “öfters”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “öfter” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable