Which to use
“sample” is a verb and “samples” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #32,244
- “sample” frequency rank
- #42,107
- “samples” frequency rank
- 74351
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | sample | samples |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs samplen | Plural des Substantivs sample |
Letter map: sample vs samples
Shared letters muted; letters that set sample and samples apart highlighted. Shared run: 6.
Grammar separator: sample vs samples
Our dataset has no pronunciation recorded for both members, so the reliable separator here is grammatical: sample is averb and samplesanoun. On the page they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “sample” sits inside “samples”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 74351, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
sample is recorded at frequency rank #32,244, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈsɛmpl̩ə]. samples is at rank #42,107, tagged as anoun, pronounced […].
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 74351, this pair ranks #335,780 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of sample vs samples
Shared letters: aelmps. Private to "sample": -. Private to "samples": -.
"sample" · 6 letters · shape CVCCCV · "samples" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "sample" and "samples" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "sample" or "samples"?
After this comparison
Pair "sample" vs "samples" is on the table, pick a follow-up below.
- Full dictionary entry for "sample" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "samples" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #335,780 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "sample" and "samples" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "puzzles vs samples". 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 #335,780 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.