kämpftvsklopftConfusable pair

Which to use

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

#4,368
“kämpft” frequency rank
#18,298
“klopft” frequency rank
22666
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature kämpft klopft
Definition 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs kämpfen 2. Person Plural Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs klopfen

Where the eye mixes kämpft and klopft

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence.

6 ch
kämpft
6 ch
klopft

Visual trap between kämpft and klopft

A purely visual mix-up. kämpft ([kɛmp͡ft]) and klopft ([klɔp͡ft]) 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 22666, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

kämpft is recorded at frequency rank #4,368, classified as averb, pronounced [kɛmp͡ft]. klopft is at rank #18,298, tagged as averb, pronounced [klɔp͡ft].

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 22666, this pair ranks #1,871,288 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of kämpft vs klopft

Shared letters: fkpt. Private to "kämpft": . Private to "klopft": lo.

"kämpft" · 6 letters · shape CVCCCC  ·  "klopft" · 6 letters · shape CCVCCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • klopftkklopft · kllopft · klofpt · klopfft · klopftt · kloppft · kloptf · klpoft

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "kämpft" and "klopft" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([kɛmp͡ft] versus [klɔp͡ft]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Frequency check: "kämpft" vs "klopft" - which ranks higher?
"kämpft" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #4,368 in our German list, against #18,298 for "klopft". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Useful next steps

Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.

  • Full dictionary entry for "kämpft" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "klopft" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #1,871,288 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "kämpft" and "klopft" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "klopf vs klopft". 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 #1,871,288 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list