BissenvsBussenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#23,060
“Bissen” frequency rank
#14,262
“Bussen” frequency rank
37322
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Bissen Bussen
Definition die Menge einer festen Speise, die man auf einmal in den Mund nehmen beziehungsweise abbeißen kann Dativ Plural des Substantivs Bus

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Bissen and Bussen apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
Bissen
6 ch
Bussen

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Bissen ([ˈbɪsn̩]) and Bussen ([ˈbʊsn̩]) 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 - i in “Bissen” becomes u in “Bussen”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 37322, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Bissen is recorded at frequency rank #23,060, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈbɪsn̩]. Bussen is at rank #14,262, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈbʊsn̩].

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 37322, this pair ranks #1,593,222 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Bissen vs Bussen

Shared letters: bens. Private to "Bissen": i. Private to "Bussen": u.

"Bissen" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC  ·  "Bussen" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Bissenbbissen · bisen · bisesn · bissenn · bissne · bißen · bsisen · ibssen
  • Bussenbbussen · bsusen · busesn · bussenn · bussne · bußen · ubssen

Frequency comparison

Bissen#23,060
Bussen#14,262

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Bissen" and "Bussen" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈbɪsn̩] versus [ˈbʊsn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Bissen" or "Bussen"?
"Bussen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #14,262 in our German list, against #23,060 for "Bissen". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Bissen vs Bussen

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 “Bissen” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list