PräsensvsPräsesTell them apart

Which to use

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

#43,425
“Präsens” frequency rank
#37,145
“Präses” frequency rank
80570
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Präsens Präses
Definition Zeitform, die, aus Sicht des Sprechers, ein Geschehen als gegenwärtig bezeichnet Vorsitzender

Where the eye mixes Präsens and Präses

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence.

7 ch
Präsens
6 ch
Präses

Visual trap between Präsens and Präses

A purely visual mix-up. Präsens ([ˈpʁɛːzɛns]) and Präses ([ˈpʁɛːzəs]) 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 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 80570, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Präsens is recorded at frequency rank #43,425, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈpʁɛːzɛns]. Präses is at rank #37,145, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈpʁɛːzəs].

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 80570, this pair ranks #192,942 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of Präsens vs Präses

Shared letters: eprsä. Private to "Präsens": n. Private to "Präses": -.

"Präsens" · 7 letters · shape CCVCVCC  ·  "Präses" · 6 letters · shape CCVCVC

Frequently Asked Questions

Do "Präsens" and "Präses" mean the same thing in a sentence?
No. They are said differently ([ˈpʁɛːzɛns] versus [ˈpʁɛːzəs]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
In ordinary German text, does "Präsens" or "Präses" show up more?
"Präses" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #37,145 in our German list, against #43,425 for "Präsens". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Useful next steps

Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.

  • Full dictionary entry for "Präsens" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "Präses" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #192,942 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "Präsens" and "Präses" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Präsens vs presents". Nearby pair

Confusion rank #192,942 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list