PorträtvsPorträtsWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#8,610
“Porträt” frequency rank
#15,722
“Porträts” frequency rank
24332
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Porträt Porträts
Definition eine Darstellung einer Person, meist in Form eines Gemäldes Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Porträt

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Porträt and Porträts apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
Porträt
8 ch
Porträts

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Porträt ([pɔʁˈtʁɛː]) and Porträts ([pɔʁˈtʁɛːs]) 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) - “Porträt” sits inside “Porträts”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 24332, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Porträt is recorded at frequency rank #8,610, classified as anoun, pronounced [pɔʁˈtʁɛː]. Porträts is at rank #15,722, tagged as anoun, pronounced [pɔʁˈtʁɛːs].

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 24332, this pair ranks #1,849,103 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Porträt vs Porträts

Shared letters: oprtä. Private to "Porträt": -. Private to "Porträts": s.

"Porträt" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCVC  ·  "Porträts" · 8 letters · shape CVCCCVCC

Frequency comparison

Porträt#8,610
Porträts#15,722

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Porträt" and "Porträts" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([pɔʁˈtʁɛː] versus [pɔʁˈtʁɛːs]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Porträt" or "Porträts"?
"Porträt" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #8,610 in our German list, against #15,722 for "Porträts". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Porträt vs Porträts

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 “Porträt” 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