Which to use
“Kaff” and “Käfig” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #24,005
- “Kaff” frequency rank
- #14,344
- “Käfig” frequency rank
- 38349
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Kaff | Käfig |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | kleine, abgelegene, unbedeutende Ortschaft | Behälter oder Einrichtung, um Lebewesen gefangen zu halten, häufig mit einem Gitter versehen |
Where the eye mixes Kaff and Käfig
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence. Kaff runs 4 letters (CVCC) against Käfig's 5 (CVCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between Kaff and Käfig
A purely visual mix-up. Kaff ([kaf]) and Käfig ([ˈkɛːfɪç]) 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 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 38349, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Kaff is recorded at frequency rank #24,005, classified as anoun, pronounced [kaf]. Käfig is at rank #14,344, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈkɛːfɪç].
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 38349, this pair ranks #1,566,294 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Kaff vs Käfig
Shared letters: fk. Private to "Kaff": a. Private to "Käfig": giä.
"Kaff" · 4 letters · shape CVCC · "Käfig" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- Kaff ← akff · kaf · kfaf · kkaff
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "Kaff" and "Käfig" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "Kaff" or "Käfig"?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "Kaff" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Käfig" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,566,294 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Kaff" and "Käfig" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Kaff vs kniff". 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 #1,566,294 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.