tesvsTeXConfusable pair

Which to use

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

#44,969
“tes” frequency rank
#27,973
“TeX” frequency rank
72942
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature tes TeX
Definition Plural des Substantivs te Computerprogramm für den Textsatz von Donald E. Knuth

Where the eye mixes tes and TeX

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.

3 ch
tes
3 ch
TeX

Look-alike desk: tes vs TeX

A purely visual mix-up. tes ([tɛs]) and TeX ([tɛç]) 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 - s in “tes” becomes x in “TeX”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 72942, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

tes is recorded at frequency rank #44,969, classified as anoun, pronounced [tɛs]. TeX is at rank #27,973, tagged as anoun, pronounced [tɛç].

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 72942, this pair ranks #374,144 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of tes vs TeX

Shared letters: et. Private to "tes": s. Private to "TeX": x.

"tes" · 3 letters · shape CVC  ·  "TeX" · 3 letters · shape CVC

Frequently Asked Questions

Is swapping "tes" for "TeX" ever safe?
No. They are said differently ([tɛs] versus [tɛç]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
In ordinary German text, does "tes" or "TeX" show up more?
"TeX" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #27,973 in our German list, against #44,969 for "tes". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

What to do next

Eye-level mix-up between "tes" and "TeX" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.

  • Full dictionary entry for "tes" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "TeX" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #374,144 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "tes" and "TeX" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "tes vs trees". Nearby pair

Confusion rank #374,144 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