Gefängnisse vs Gefängnisses, What's the Difference?

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 spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Gefängnisse and Gefängnisses apart are highlighted. They share 11 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

11 ch

Gefängnisse

12 ch

Gefängnisses

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

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

Frequency comparison

Gefängnisse#20,592

Gefängnisses#42,514

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Gefängnisse" and "Gefängnisses" be used interchangeably?

No. They are said differently ([ɡəˈfɛŋnɪsə] versus [ɡəˈfɛŋnɪsəs]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.

Which is more common, "Gefängnisse" or "Gefängnisses"?

"Gefängnisse" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #20,592 in our German list, against #42,514 for "Gefängnisses". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Gefängnisse vs Gefängnisses

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 “Gefängnisse” entry
Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable