This is the 12526th most frequent German word.
wales
"wales" is not a German word; it refers to "Wales," a country that is part of the United Kingdom.
Here, 'Wales' refers to the country named Wales, which is a part of the United Kingdom.
Ich möchte nächstes Jahr nach Wales reisen.
I want to travel to Wales next year.
In this sentence, 'Wale' (note the singular vs. plural ambiguity in context presentation) refers to the marine animals known as whales.
Die Wale im Ozean sind majestätische Wesen.
The whales in the ocean are majestic beings.
In this context, 'wales' (often lowercased as 'Wale' or 'Rippen' in translation) refers to structural elements or features, often metaphorical, on a surface.