diff --git a/Backend.Tests/Mocks/WordRepositoryMock.cs b/Backend.Tests/Mocks/WordRepositoryMock.cs
index 49a6ecaa1b..242de776b2 100644
--- a/Backend.Tests/Mocks/WordRepositoryMock.cs
+++ b/Backend.Tests/Mocks/WordRepositoryMock.cs
@@ -75,6 +75,12 @@ public Task<List<Word>> GetFrontier(string projectId)
             return Task.FromResult(_frontier.Where(w => w.ProjectId == projectId).Select(w => w.Clone()).ToList());
         }
 
+        public Task<List<Word>> GetFrontierWithVernacular(string projectId, string vernacular)
+        {
+            return Task.FromResult(_frontier.Where(
+                w => w.ProjectId == projectId && w.Vernacular == vernacular).Select(w => w.Clone()).ToList());
+        }
+
         public Task<Word> AddFrontier(Word word)
         {
             _frontier.Add(word.Clone());
diff --git a/Backend/Interfaces/IWordRepository.cs b/Backend/Interfaces/IWordRepository.cs
index 342970e443..004de35132 100644
--- a/Backend/Interfaces/IWordRepository.cs
+++ b/Backend/Interfaces/IWordRepository.cs
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ public interface IWordRepository
         Task<bool> IsFrontierNonempty(string projectId);
         Task<bool> IsInFrontier(string projectId, string wordId);
         Task<List<Word>> GetFrontier(string projectId);
+        Task<List<Word>> GetFrontierWithVernacular(string projectId, string vernacular);
         Task<Word> AddFrontier(Word word);
         Task<List<Word>> AddFrontier(List<Word> words);
         Task<bool> DeleteFrontier(string projectId, string wordId);
diff --git a/Backend/Repositories/WordRepository.cs b/Backend/Repositories/WordRepository.cs
index 95259027e4..8a6a9f2a7b 100644
--- a/Backend/Repositories/WordRepository.cs
+++ b/Backend/Repositories/WordRepository.cs
@@ -145,6 +145,13 @@ public async Task<List<Word>> GetFrontier(string projectId)
             return await _wordDatabase.Frontier.Find(w => w.ProjectId == projectId).ToListAsync();
         }
 
+        /// <summary> Finds all <see cref="Word"/>s in Frontier of specified project with specified vern </summary>
+        public async Task<List<Word>> GetFrontierWithVernacular(string projectId, string vernacular)
+        {
+            return await _wordDatabase.Frontier.Find(
+                w => w.ProjectId == projectId && w.Vernacular == vernacular).ToListAsync();
+        }
+
         /// <summary> Adds a <see cref="Word"/> only to the Frontier </summary>
         /// <param name="word"></param>
         /// <returns> The word created </returns>
diff --git a/Backend/Services/WordService.cs b/Backend/Services/WordService.cs
index 15ce094eb3..3072a12cce 100644
--- a/Backend/Services/WordService.cs
+++ b/Backend/Services/WordService.cs
@@ -173,8 +173,8 @@ public async Task<bool> Update(string projectId, string userId, string wordId, W
         /// <returns> The id string of the existing word, or null if none. </returns>
         public async Task<string?> FindContainingWord(Word word)
         {
-            var frontier = await _wordRepo.GetFrontier(word.ProjectId);
-            var duplicatedWord = frontier.Find(w => w.Contains(word));
+            var wordsWithVern = await _wordRepo.GetFrontierWithVernacular(word.ProjectId, word.Vernacular);
+            var duplicatedWord = wordsWithVern.Find(w => w.Contains(word));
             return duplicatedWord?.Id;
         }
     }