GrabesvsGravesWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#37,546
“Grabes” frequency rank
#46,001
“Graves” frequency rank
83547
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Grabes Graves
Definition Genitiv Singular des Substantivs Grab Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Grave

Where the spellings diverge

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

6 ch
Grabes
6 ch
Graves

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Grabes ([ˈɡʁaːbəs]) and Graves ([ˈɡʁaːvəs]) 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 - b in “Grabes” becomes v in “Graves”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 83547, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Grabes is recorded at frequency rank #37,546, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈɡʁaːbəs]. Graves is at rank #46,001, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈɡʁaːvəs].

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 83547, this pair ranks #138,121 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of Grabes vs Graves

Shared letters: aegrs. Private to "Grabes": b. Private to "Graves": v.

"Grabes" · 6 letters · shape CCVCVC  ·  "Graves" · 6 letters · shape CCVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Grabesgarbes · ggrabes · grabbes · grabess · grabse · graebs · grbaes · grrabes
  • Gravesgarves · ggraves · graevs · gravess · gravse · gravves · grraves · grvaes

Frequency comparison

Grabes#37,546
Graves#46,001

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Grabes" and "Graves" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈɡʁaːbəs] versus [ˈɡʁaːvəs]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Grabes" or "Graves"?
"Grabes" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #37,546 in our German list, against #46,001 for "Graves". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Grabes vs Graves

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 “Grabes” 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