Which to use
“Gefängnisse” and “Gefängnisses” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #20,592
- “Gefängnisse” frequency rank
- #42,514
- “Gefängnisses” frequency rank
- 63106
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Gefängnisse | Gefängnisses |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Variante für den Dativ Singular des Substantivs Gefängnis | Genitiv Singular des Substantivs Gefängnis |
Where the eye mixes Gefängnisse and Gefängnisses
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 11 letters in sequence. Gefängnisse runs 11 letters (CVCVCCCVCCV) against Gefängnisses'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 Gefängnisses
A purely visual mix-up. Gefängnisse ([ɡəˈfɛŋnɪsə]) and Gefängnisses ([ɡəˈfɛŋnɪsəs]) 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 “Gefängnisses”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 63106, 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]. Gefängnisses is at rank #42,514, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ɡəˈfɛŋnɪsəs].
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 63106, this pair ranks #688,587 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of Gefängnisse vs Gefängnisses
Shared letters: efginsä. Private to "Gefängnisse": -. Private to "Gefängnisses": -.
"Gefängnisse" · 11 letters · shape CVCVCCCVCCV · "Gefängnisses" · 12 letters · shape CVCVCCCVCCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "Gefängnisse" and "Gefängnisses" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Frequency check: "Gefängnisse" vs "Gefängnisses" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Eye-level mix-up between "Gefängnisse" and "Gefängnisses" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "Gefängnisse" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Gefängnisses" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #688,587 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Gefängnisse" and "Gefängnisses" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Gefängnissen vs Gefängnisses". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #688,587 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.