Which to use
“Wölfe” and “Wolfs” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #8,491
- “Wölfe” frequency rank
- #36,744
- “Wolfs” frequency rank
- 45235
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Wölfe | Wolfs |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Wolf | Genitiv Singular des Substantivs Wolf |
Where the eye mixes Wölfe and Wolfs
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between Wölfe and Wolfs
A purely visual mix-up. Wölfe ([ˈvœlfə]) and Wolfs ([vɔlfs]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 45235, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Wölfe is recorded at frequency rank #8,491, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈvœlfə]. Wolfs is at rank #36,744, tagged as anoun, pronounced [vɔlfs].
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 45235, this pair ranks #1,359,944 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of Wölfe vs Wolfs
Shared letters: flw. Private to "Wölfe": eö. Private to "Wolfs": os.
"Wölfe" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV · "Wolfs" · 5 letters · shape CVCCC
Known mistypes of this pair
- Wolfs ← owlfs · wlofs · wofls · wolffs · wolfss · wollfs · wolsf · wwolfs
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "Wölfe" and "Wolfs" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "Wölfe" or "Wolfs"?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "Wölfe" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Wolfs" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,359,944 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Wölfe" and "Wolfs" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Wolfs vs worlds". 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 #1,359,944 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.