Which to use
“update” and “updates” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #4,005
- “update” frequency rank
- #9,475
- “updates” frequency rank
- 13480
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | update | updates |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs updaten | 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs update |
Letter map: update vs updates
Shared letters muted; letters that set update and updates apart highlighted. Shared run: 6. update runs 6 letters (VCCVCV) against updates's 7 (VCCVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Spelling & dictionary notes on update vs updates
update and updates are indexed as a confusable German pair. We have no recorded pronunciation or part of speech for both members, so the spelling overlap is what we can show you: they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “update” sits inside “updates”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 13480, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
update is recorded at frequency rank #4,005, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈapdɛɪ̯tə]. updates is at rank #9,475, tagged as averb, 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 13480, this pair ranks #1,957,724 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of update vs updates
Shared letters: adeptu. Private to "update": -. Private to "updates": s.
"update" · 6 letters · shape VCCVCV · "updates" · 7 letters · shape VCCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "update" for "updates" ever safe?
Frequency check: "update" vs "updates" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
You've compared "update" and "updates". Here's where to go from here.
- Full dictionary entry for "update" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "updates" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,957,724 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "update" and "updates" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "puzzles vs updates". 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 #1,957,724 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.