Which to use
“clash” and “close” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #34,577
- “clash” frequency rank
- #20,880
- “close” frequency rank
- 55457
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | clash | close |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Geräusch, wie von einem Zusammenstoß; lautes, schrilles, klirrendes Geräusch | die Sackgasse |
Where the eye mixes clash and close
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between clash and close
A purely visual mix-up. clash ([klæʃ]) and close ([kləʊz]) 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 55457, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
clash is recorded at frequency rank #34,577, classified as anoun, pronounced [klæʃ]. close is at rank #20,880, tagged as anoun, pronounced [kləʊz].
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 55457, this pair ranks #978,811 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of clash vs close
Shared letters: cls. Private to "clash": ah. Private to "close": eo.
"clash" · 5 letters · shape CCVCC · "close" · 5 letters · shape CCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "clash" and "close" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "clash" vs "close" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "clash" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "close" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #978,811 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "clash" and "close" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "clair vs clash". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #978,811 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.