kargenvsklagenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#40,627
“kargen” frequency rank
#4,212
“klagen” frequency rank
44839
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature kargen klagen
Definition mit etwas geizen, es nicht gerne teilen oder verschenken einen Verlust bejammern

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set kargen and klagen apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
kargen
6 ch
klagen

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. kargen ([ˈkaʁɡn̩]) and klagen ([ˈklaːɡn̩]) 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 44839, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

kargen is recorded at frequency rank #40,627, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈkaʁɡn̩]. klagen is at rank #4,212, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈklaːɡn̩].

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 44839, this pair ranks #1,373,072 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of kargen vs klagen

Shared letters: aegkn. Private to "kargen": r. Private to "klagen": l.

"kargen" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC  ·  "klagen" · 6 letters · shape CCVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • kargenakrgen · kagren · karegn · kargenn · karggen · kargne · karrgen · kkargen
  • klagenkalgen · kklagen · klaegn · klagenn · klaggen · klagne · klgaen · kllagen

Frequency comparison

kargen#40,627
klagen#4,212

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "kargen" and "klagen" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈkaʁɡn̩] versus [ˈklaːɡn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "kargen" or "klagen"?
"klagen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #4,212 in our German list, against #40,627 for "kargen". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering kargen vs klagen

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 “kargen” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list