Which to use
“es” is a pronoun and “Ex” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #13
- “es” frequency rank
- #1,321
- “Ex” frequency rank
- 1334
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | es | Ex |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | ersetzt eine zuvor benutzte Nominalphrase im Neutrum (Person, Tier, Sache oder Abstraktum) | Kurzform für Exfreund oder Exmann |
Where the eye mixes es and Ex
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Why the eye confuses es with Ex
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: es is [ɛs] while Ex is [ɛks]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by a single letter - s in “es” becomes x in “Ex”, and the parts of speech differ too (pronoun vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 1334, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
es is recorded at frequency rank #13, classified as apron, pronounced [ɛs]. Ex is at rank #1,321, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ɛks].
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 1334, this pair ranks #2,004,530 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of es vs Ex
Shared letters: e. Private to "es": s. Private to "Ex": x.
"es" · 2 letters · shape VC · "Ex" · 2 letters · shape VC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "es" for "Ex" ever safe?
Frequency check: "es" vs "Ex" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "es" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Ex" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #2,004,530 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "es" and "Ex" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "eo vs Ex". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #2,004,530 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.