WolfsvsWolkeWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#36,744
“Wolfs” frequency rank
#10,595
“Wolke” frequency rank
47339
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Wolfs Wolke
Definition Genitiv Singular des Substantivs Wolf große Ansammlung von Wasserteilchen in der Troposphäre

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Wolfs and Wolke apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
Wolfs
5 ch
Wolke

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Wolfs ([vɔlfs]) and Wolke ([ˈvɔlkə]) 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 47339, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Wolfs is recorded at frequency rank #36,744, classified as anoun, pronounced [vɔlfs]. Wolke is at rank #10,595, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈvɔlkə].

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 47339, this pair ranks #1,287,773 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Wolfs vs Wolke

Shared letters: low. Private to "Wolfs": fs. Private to "Wolke": ek.

"Wolfs" · 5 letters · shape CVCCC  ·  "Wolke" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Wolfsowlfs · wlofs · wofls · wolffs · wolfss · wollfs · wolsf · wwolfs
  • Wolkeowlke · wloke · wokle · wolek · wolkke · wollke · wwolke

Frequency comparison

Wolfs#36,744
Wolke#10,595

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Wolfs" and "Wolke" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([vɔlfs] versus [ˈvɔlkə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Wolfs" or "Wolke"?
"Wolke" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #10,595 in our German list, against #36,744 for "Wolfs". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Wolfs vs Wolke

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 “Wolfs” 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