UrlaubevsUrlaubsWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#39,093
“Urlaube” frequency rank
#22,548
“Urlaubs” frequency rank
61641
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Urlaube Urlaubs
Definition Variante für den Dativ Singular des Substantivs Urlaub Genitiv Singular des Substantivs Urlaub

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Urlaube and Urlaubs apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
Urlaube
7 ch
Urlaubs

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Urlaube ([ˈuːɐ̯ˌlaʊ̯bə]) and Urlaubs ([ˈuːɐ̯ˌlaʊ̯ps]) 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 a single letter - e in “Urlaube” becomes s in “Urlaubs”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 61641, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Urlaube is recorded at frequency rank #39,093, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈuːɐ̯ˌlaʊ̯bə]. Urlaubs is at rank #22,548, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈuːɐ̯ˌlaʊ̯ps].

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 61641, this pair ranks #742,108 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Urlaube vs Urlaubs

Shared letters: ablru. Private to "Urlaube": e. Private to "Urlaubs": s.

"Urlaube" · 7 letters · shape VCCVVCV  ·  "Urlaubs" · 7 letters · shape VCCVVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Urlauberulaube · ulraube · uralube · urlabue · urlaubbe · urlaueb · urllaube · urluabe
  • Urlaubsrulaubs · ulraubs · uralubs · urlabus · urlaubbs · urlaubss · urlausb · urllaubs

Frequency comparison

Urlaube#39,093
Urlaubs#22,548

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Urlaube" and "Urlaubs" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈuːɐ̯ˌlaʊ̯bə] versus [ˈuːɐ̯ˌlaʊ̯ps]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Urlaube" or "Urlaubs"?
"Urlaubs" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #22,548 in our German list, against #39,093 for "Urlaube". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Urlaube vs Urlaubs

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 “Urlaube” 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