ClausvsCyrusWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#7,449
“Claus” frequency rank
#15,595
“Cyrus” frequency rank
23044
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Claus Cyrus
Definition männlicher Vorname männlicher Vorname

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Claus and Cyrus apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
Claus
5 ch
Cyrus

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Claus ([klaʊ̯s]) and Cyrus ([ˈt͡syːʁʊs]) 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 23044, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Claus is recorded at frequency rank #7,449, classified as aname, pronounced [klaʊ̯s]. Cyrus is at rank #15,595, tagged as aname, pronounced [ˈt͡syːʁʊs].

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 23044, this pair ranks #1,866,466 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Claus vs Cyrus

Shared letters: csu. Private to "Claus": al. Private to "Cyrus": ry.

"Claus" · 5 letters · shape CCVVC  ·  "Cyrus" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Clauscalus · cclaus · clasu · clauss · cllaus · cluas · lcaus
  • Cyrusccyrus · cryus · cyrrus · cyrsu · cyruss · cyurs · cyyrus · ycrus

Frequency comparison

Claus#7,449
Cyrus#15,595

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Claus" and "Cyrus" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([klaʊ̯s] versus [ˈt͡syːʁʊs]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Claus" or "Cyrus"?
"Claus" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #7,449 in our German list, against #15,595 for "Cyrus". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Claus vs Cyrus

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 “Claus” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list