WerdsvsWerksWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#45,695
“Werds” frequency rank
#15,264
“Werks” frequency rank
60959
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Werds Werks
Definition Genitiv Singular des Substantivs Werd Genitiv Singular des Substantivs Werk

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Werds and Werks apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
Werds
5 ch
Werks

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Werds ([vɛʁt͡s]) and Werks ([vɛʁks]) 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 - d in “Werds” becomes k in “Werks”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 60959, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Werds is recorded at frequency rank #45,695, classified as anoun, pronounced [vɛʁt͡s]. Werks is at rank #15,264, tagged as anoun, pronounced [vɛʁks].

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 60959, this pair ranks #767,554 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Werds vs Werks

Shared letters: ersw. Private to "Werds": d. Private to "Werks": k.

"Werds" · 5 letters · shape CVCCC  ·  "Werks" · 5 letters · shape CVCCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Werdsewrds · wedrs · werdds · werdss · werrds · wersd · wreds · wwerds
  • Werksewrks · wekrs · werkks · werkss · werrks · wersk · wreks · wwerks

Frequency comparison

Werds#45,695
Werks#15,264

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Werds" and "Werks" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([vɛʁt͡s] versus [vɛʁks]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Werds" or "Werks"?
"Werks" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #15,264 in our German list, against #45,695 for "Werds". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Werds vs Werks

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 “Werds” 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