cards

[kɑːds]

/[kɑːds]/ unknown

The verdict

“cards” is a moderately-common German word, ranked #21,563 in German word frequency and used as an unknown.

#21,563
frequency rank, German
5
letters
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Plural von card

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

cards vs CDs
20% similar
cards vs Carl
40% similar
cards vs care
60% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for cards
PropertyValue
Headwordcards
LanguageGerman
Part of speechUnknown
IPA[kɑːds]
Letters5
Frequency rank#21,563
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “cards” sits in German frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). cards lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The German entry for cards is 5 letters long, classified as an unknown, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [kɑːds]. Corpus data places it at rank #21,563 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "Plural von card".

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for cards, with forms such as "acrds", "cadrs", and "cardds". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "CDs", "Carl", "care", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

No documented word history exists for this headword, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct German form is cards, spelled C-A-R-D-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Plural von card

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: acrds,cadrs,cardds,cardss,carrds,carsd,ccards,crads

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of cards - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

acrds2cadrs2cardds1cardss1carrds1carsd2ccards1crads2
Edit distance from "cards"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 German corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "cards"?
"cards" is spelled C-A-R-D-S. The IPA pronunciation is [kɑːds].
What does "cards" mean?
As an unknown, "cards" means: Plural von card
What words are commonly confused with "cards"?
"cards" is commonly confused with "CDs", "Carl", "care". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "cards"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "cards" is [kɑːds]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "cards" come from?
"cards" is a German word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “cards”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct German spelling is C-A-R-D-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [kɑːds] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “CDs” - see the side-by-side comparison. cards vs CDs
  • Browse more German words and confusable pairs in the same reference. German words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list