Which to use
“taken” and “takes” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #42,860
- “taken” frequency rank
- #30,805
- “takes” frequency rank
- 73665
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | taken | takes |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Genitiv Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs tak | Nominativ Singular Neutrum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs tak |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set taken and takes apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. taken ([ˈtakn̩]) and takes ([ˈtakəs]) 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 a single letter - n in “taken” becomes s in “takes”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 73665, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
taken is recorded at frequency rank #42,860, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈtakn̩]. takes is at rank #30,805, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈtakəs].
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 73665, this pair ranks #354,172 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of taken vs takes
Shared letters: aekt. Private to "taken": n. Private to "takes": s.
"taken" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC · "takes" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "taken" and "takes" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "taken" or "takes"?
Remembering taken vs takes
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 “taken” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable