Which to use
“Gefängnisse” and “Gefängnissen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #20,592
- “Gefängnisse” frequency rank
- #22,731
- “Gefängnissen” frequency rank
- 43323
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Gefängnisse | Gefängnissen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Variante für den Dativ Singular des Substantivs Gefängnis | Dativ Plural des Substantivs Gefängnis |
Where the eye mixes Gefängnisse and Gefängnissen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 11 letters in sequence. Gefängnisse runs 11 letters (CVCVCCCVCCV) against Gefängnissen's 12 (CVCVCCCVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses Gefängnisse with Gefängnissen
A purely visual mix-up. Gefängnisse ([ɡəˈfɛŋnɪsə]) and Gefängnissen ([ɡəˈfɛŋnɪsn̩]) 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 1 extra letter(s) - “Gefängnisse” sits inside “Gefängnissen”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 43323, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Gefängnisse is recorded at frequency rank #20,592, classified as anoun, pronounced [ɡəˈfɛŋnɪsə]. Gefängnissen is at rank #22,731, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ɡəˈfɛŋnɪsn̩].
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 43323, this pair ranks #1,421,661 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of Gefängnisse vs Gefängnissen
Shared letters: efginsä. Private to "Gefängnisse": -. Private to "Gefängnissen": -.
"Gefängnisse" · 11 letters · shape CVCVCCCVCCV · "Gefängnissen" · 12 letters · shape CVCVCCCVCCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "Gefängnisse" and "Gefängnissen" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "Gefängnisse" or "Gefängnissen"?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "Gefängnisse" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Gefängnissen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,421,661 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Gefängnisse" and "Gefängnissen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Gefängnissen vs Gefängnisses". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,421,661 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.