Which to use
“simple” and “simples” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #11,524
- “simple” frequency rank
- #42,818
- “simples” frequency rank
- 54342
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | simple | simples |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Nominativ Singular Femininum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs simpel | Nominativ Singular Neutrum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs simpel |
Where the eye mixes simple and simples
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses simple with simples
A purely visual mix-up. simple ([ˈzɪmplə]) and simples ([ˈzɪmpləs]) 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) - “simple” sits inside “simples”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 54342, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
simple is recorded at frequency rank #11,524, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈzɪmplə]. simples is at rank #42,818, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈzɪmpləs].
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 54342, this pair ranks #1,022,649 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of simple vs simples
Shared letters: eilmps. Private to "simple": -. Private to "simples": -.
"simple" · 6 letters · shape CVCCCV · "simples" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "simple" and "simples" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "simple" or "simples"?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "simple" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "simples" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,022,649 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "simple" and "simples" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "simpler vs simples". 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 #1,022,649 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.