getvsgetsWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: get is a verb, gets is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“get” is a verb and “gets” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#8,248
“get” frequency rank
#46,785
“gets” frequency rank
55033
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature get gets
Definition Obtenir, avoir. Pluriel de get.

Where the spellings diverge

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

3 ch
get
4 ch
gets

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: get is \ˈɡɛt\ while gets is \ˈɡɛts\. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “get” sits inside “gets”, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 55033, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

get is recorded at frequency rank #8,248, classified as averb, pronounced \ˈɡɛt\. gets is at rank #46,785, tagged as anoun, pronounced \ˈɡɛts\.

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 55033, this pair ranks #130,092 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of get vs gets

Shared letters: egt. Private to "get": -. Private to "gets": s.

"get" · 3 letters · shape CVC  ·  "gets" · 4 letters · shape CVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • getsegts · gest · getss · getts · ggets · gtes

Frequency comparison

get#8,248
gets#46,785

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "get" and "gets" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "get" is a verb and "gets" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "get" or "gets"?
"get" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #8,248 in our French list, against #46,785 for "gets". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering get vs gets

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “get”; for a noun, it's “gets”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “get” 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