für

[fyːɐ̯]

/[fyːɐ̯]/ prep

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

The verdict

“für” sits in 20 confusable pairs (corpus #16) as a preposition. The look-alike neighbours are the real trap.

#16
frequency rank, German
3,474
“F” headwords
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 2, 2026) - etwas oder jemand ist an etwas jemanden gerichtet, bestimmt, zugeordnet

Corpus desk

Index DE-fur · für · German

für · rank #16 · 0 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-CORE #16
  • LEN-MID 3 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 3,474
  • PHOTO-FINISH auf

Nearest frequency peer: auf (-1 rank slots)

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Frequency neighbourhood for “für”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “für” sits against the nearest ranked German headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 2, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

für vs FW
0% similar
für vs FV
0% similar
für vs fürs
75% similar

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

Key facts for für
PropertyValue
Headwordfür
LanguageGerman
Part of speechPreposition
IPA[fyːɐ̯]
Letters3
Frequency rank#16
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “für” 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). für lands here:

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

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

Easy to mix with look-alikes

The spelling risk for für is neighbouring look-alikes ("FW", "FV", …), not just typos; it is apreposition pronounced [fyːɐ̯]. Frequency #16 among 3,474 “F” headwords. 9 recorded senses keep meaning in play.

No misspelling variants are generated for für in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "FW", "FV", "fürs", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so its spelling is easiest to reason about phoneme by phoneme, absent a documented history. The correct German form is für, spelled F-Ü-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    etwas oder jemand ist an etwas jemanden gerichtet, bestimmt, zugeordnet
  2. 2
    bestimmt oder gibt einen Zweck, einen Nutzen, eine Absicht, ein Ziel an; bestimmt einen Vorteil oder Nachteil, einen Zuschlag, eine Bestimmung jemandes oder etwas
  3. 3
    gegen, ein Mittel gegen
  4. 4
    wegen, bestimmt oder gibt einen Grund, eine Ursache an
  5. 5
    bestimmt oder gibt eine Wertung, Auffassung, Meinung wieder
  6. 6
    bestimmt oder gibt eine Leistung, einen Wert, einen Preis an
  7. 7
    anstelle, vertretend, vergleichend
  8. 8
    bestimmt oder gibt einen Zeitraum oder Zeitpunkt an
  9. 9
    bestimmt oder gibt eine Folge an

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how für appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Ich habe ein Geschenk für dich.
  2. Wir treten für die Menschenrechte ein.

This word in other languages

for(English)por(Español)pour(Français)para(Português)

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 2, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "für"?
"für" is spelled F-Ü-R. The IPA pronunciation is [fyːɐ̯].
What does "für" mean?
As a preposition, "für" means: etwas oder jemand ist an etwas jemanden gerichtet, bestimmt, zugeordnet
What words are commonly confused with "für"?
"für" is commonly confused with "FW", "FV", "fürs". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "für"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "für" is [fyːɐ̯]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "für" come from?
"für" 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.

Similar German words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "für", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked German headwords with 3 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

auf#15sie#18mit#12von#11

What to do next

You've looked up "für". Here's where to go from here.

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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