fovsfürTell them apart

Quick tell: fo is a intj, für is a preposition, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“fo” is an intj and “für” is a preposition - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#20,044
“fo” frequency rank
#38,139
“für” frequency rank
58183
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature fo für
Definition Expresión usada al percibir mal olor o sabor. Por.

Where the eye mixes fo and für

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.

2 ch
fo
3 ch
für

Look-alike desk: fo vs für

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: fo is [ˈfo] while für is [fyːɐ̯]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (intj vs preposition), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 58183, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

fo is recorded at frequency rank #20,044, classified as anintj, pronounced [ˈfo]. für is at rank #38,139, tagged as aprep, pronounced [fyːɐ̯].

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 58183, this pair ranks #67,439 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of fo vs für

Shared letters: f. Private to "fo": o. Private to "für": .

"fo" · 2 letters · shape CV  ·  "für" · 3 letters · shape CVC

Frequently Asked Questions

Do "fo" and "für" mean the same thing in a sentence?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "fo" is an intj and "für" a preposition, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "fo" or "für"?
"fo" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #20,044 in our Spanish list, against #38,139 for "für". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

What to do next

Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.

  • Full dictionary entry for "fo" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "für" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #67,439 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "fo" and "für" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "fora vs für". Nearby pair

Confusion rank #67,439 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list