PferdvsPferdesWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#3,066
“Pferd” frequency rank
#23,659
“Pferdes” frequency rank
26725
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Pferd Pferdes
Definition ein Haustier, Nutztier und Reittier, das Hauspferd Genitiv Singular des Substantivs Pferd

Where the eye mixes Pferd and Pferdes

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence.

5 ch
Pferd
7 ch
Pferdes

Visual trap between Pferd and Pferdes

A purely visual mix-up. Pferd ([p͡feːɐ̯t]) and Pferdes ([ˈp͡feːɐ̯dəs]) 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 2 extra letter(s) - “Pferd” sits inside “Pferdes”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 26725, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Pferd is recorded at frequency rank #3,066, classified as anoun, pronounced [p͡feːɐ̯t]. Pferdes is at rank #23,659, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈp͡feːɐ̯dəs].

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 26725, this pair ranks #1,813,457 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Pferd vs Pferdes

Shared letters: defpr. Private to "Pferd": -. Private to "Pferdes": s.

"Pferd" · 5 letters · shape CCVCC  ·  "Pferdes" · 7 letters · shape CCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Pferdfperd · pefrd · pfedr · pferdd · pferrd · pfferd · pfred · ppferd
  • Pferdesfperdes · pefrdes · pfedres · pferddes · pferdess · pferdse · pfereds · pferrdes

Frequently Asked Questions

Do "Pferd" and "Pferdes" mean the same thing in a sentence?
No. They are said differently ([p͡feːɐ̯t] versus [ˈp͡feːɐ̯dəs]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Frequency check: "Pferd" vs "Pferdes" - which ranks higher?
"Pferd" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #3,066 in our German list, against #23,659 for "Pferdes". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

What to do next

Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.

  • Full dictionary entry for "Pferd" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "Pferdes" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #1,813,457 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "Pferd" and "Pferdes" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Perl vs Pferd". 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 #1,813,457 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list