TagvstesConfusable pair

Which to use

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

#189
“Tag” frequency rank
#44,969
“tes” frequency rank
45158
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Tag tes
Definition Zeitraum zwischen Sonnenaufgang und Sonnenuntergang Plural des Substantivs te

Where the eye mixes Tag and tes

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.

3 ch
Tag
3 ch
tes

Visual trap between Tag and tes

A purely visual mix-up. Tag ([taːk]) and tes ([tɛs]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 45158, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Tag is recorded at frequency rank #189, classified as anoun, pronounced [taːk]. tes is at rank #44,969, tagged as anoun, pronounced [tɛs].

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 45158, this pair ranks #1,362,515 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Tag vs tes

Shared letters: t. Private to "Tag": ag. Private to "tes": es.

"Tag" · 3 letters · shape CVC  ·  "tes" · 3 letters · shape CVC

Frequently Asked Questions

Is swapping "Tag" for "tes" ever safe?
No. They are said differently ([taːk] versus [tɛs]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Frequency check: "Tag" vs "tes" - which ranks higher?
"Tag" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #189 in our German list, against #44,969 for "tes". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

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 "Tag" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "tes" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #1,362,515 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "Tag" and "tes" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "tes vs trees". Nearby pair

Confusion rank #1,362,515 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