This article is devoted to the German classes of particles: Gradpartikel (degree particle) and Fokuspartikel (focus particle), which are assigned divergent contents in different grammars and lexicons. In addition to this, a problem with didactic implications is the inconsistency of terminology. For example, Helbig/Buscha (2001) apply the term Gradpartikel to expressions that Hentschel/Weydt (2013) classify as Fokuspartikel. Engel (2009), on the other hand, refers to the expressions as Gradpartikel, which in Hentschel/Weydt (2013) represent the classes Fokuspartikel and Intensivpartikel. There are more similar inconsistencies in the literature with regard to class names and the inclusion of particles within them. The aim of this article is to revise the classification criteria and analyse the distinguishing characteristics of these classes and to put the terminology in order. The choice of terms in this article was determined by the primary function of the class: Fokuspartikel is named according to the function of focusing attention on something (German: fokussieren), while Gradpartikel is named according to the function of reinforcing (German: gradieren).