BegriffenvsBegriffesWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“Begriffen” and “Begriffes” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#6,508
“Begriffen” frequency rank
#32,944
“Begriffes” frequency rank
39452
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Begriffen Begriffes
Definition Dativ Plural des Substantivs Begriff Genitiv Singular des Substantivs Begriff

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Begriffen and Begriffes apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

9 ch
Begriffen
9 ch
Begriffes

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Begriffen ([bəˈɡʁɪfn̩]) and Begriffes ([bəˈɡʁɪfəs]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by a single letter - n in “Begriffen” becomes s in “Begriffes”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 39452, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Begriffen is recorded at frequency rank #6,508, classified as anoun, pronounced [bəˈɡʁɪfn̩]. Begriffes is at rank #32,944, tagged as anoun, pronounced [bəˈɡʁɪfəs].

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 39452, this pair ranks #1,536,404 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Begriffen vs Begriffes

Shared letters: befgir. Private to "Begriffen": n. Private to "Begriffes": s.

"Begriffen" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCCVC  ·  "Begriffes" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Begriffenbbegriffen · beggriffen · begirffen · begrfifen · begrifefn · begrifen · begriffenn · begriffne
  • Begriffesbbegriffes · beggriffes · begirffes · begrfifes · begrifefs · begrifes · begriffess · begriffse

Frequency comparison

Begriffen#6,508
Begriffes#32,944

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Begriffen" and "Begriffes" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([bəˈɡʁɪfn̩] versus [bəˈɡʁɪfəs]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Begriffen" or "Begriffes"?
"Begriffen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #6,508 in our German list, against #32,944 for "Begriffes". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Begriffen vs Begriffes

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “Begriffen” 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