souvenirvsSouvenirsWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#34,374
“souvenir” frequency rank
#33,827
“Souvenirs” frequency rank
68201
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature souvenir Souvenirs
Definition die Fähigkeit, vergangene Informationen zu behalten und wieder aufzurufen Genitiv Singular des Substantivs Souvenir

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set souvenir and Souvenirs apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
souvenir
9 ch
Souvenirs

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. souvenir ([suv.niʁ]) and Souvenirs ([zuvəˈniːɐ̯s]) 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) - “souvenir” sits inside “Souvenirs”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 68201, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

souvenir is recorded at frequency rank #34,374, classified as anoun, pronounced [suv.niʁ]. Souvenirs is at rank #33,827, tagged as anoun, pronounced [zuvəˈniːɐ̯s].

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 68201, this pair ranks #515,481 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of souvenir vs Souvenirs

Shared letters: einorsuv. Private to "souvenir": -. Private to "Souvenirs": -.

"souvenir" · 8 letters · shape CVVCVCVC  ·  "Souvenirs" · 9 letters · shape CVVCVCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • souvenirosuvenir · souevnir · souveinr · souvenirr · souvennir · souvenri · souvneir · souvvenir
  • Souvenirsosuvenirs · souevnirs · souveinrs · souvenirrs · souvenirss · souvenisr · souvennirs · souvenris

Frequency comparison

souvenir#34,374
Souvenirs#33,827

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "souvenir" and "Souvenirs" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([suv.niʁ] versus [zuvəˈniːɐ̯s]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "souvenir" or "Souvenirs"?
"Souvenirs" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #33,827 in our German list, against #34,374 for "souvenir". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering souvenir vs Souvenirs

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 “souvenir” 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