Which to use
“Problem” and “Problems” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #381
- “Problem” frequency rank
- #7,652
- “Problems” frequency rank
- 8033
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Problem | Problems |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | schwierige, noch ungelöste Aufgabe | Genitiv Singular des Substantivs Problem |
Where the eye mixes Problem and Problems
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses Problem with Problems
A purely visual mix-up. Problem ([pʁoˈbleːm]) and Problems ([pʁoˈbleːms]) 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) - “Problem” sits inside “Problems”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 8033, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Problem is recorded at frequency rank #381, classified as anoun, pronounced [pʁoˈbleːm]. Problems is at rank #7,652, tagged as anoun, pronounced [pʁoˈbleːms].
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 8033, this pair ranks #1,985,882 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Problem vs Problems
Shared letters: belmopr. Private to "Problem": -. Private to "Problems": s.
"Problem" · 7 letters · shape CCVCCVC · "Problems" · 8 letters · shape CCVCCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "Problem" and "Problems" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "Problem" or "Problems"?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "Problem" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Problems" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,985,882 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Problem" and "Problems" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "problemlos vs Problems". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #1,985,882 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.