Kauf vs Kluft, What's the Difference?

Which to use

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

#1,668
“Kauf” frequency rank: #21,316
“Kluft” frequency rank: 22984
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature	Kauf	Kluft
Definition	der entgeltliche Erwerb einer Ware	tiefer Gesteinsriss, Spalt im Fels oder Erdboden

Where the spellings diverge

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

4 ch

Kauf

5 ch

Kluft

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Kauf ([kaʊ̯f]) and Kluft ([klʊft]) 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 22984, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Kauf is recorded at frequency rank #1,668, classified as anoun, pronounced [kaʊ̯f]. Kluft is at rank #21,316, tagged as anoun, pronounced [klʊft].

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 22984, this pair ranks #1,867,210 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Kauf vs Kluft

Shared letters: fku. Private to "Kauf": a. Private to "Kluft": lt.

"Kauf" · 4 letters · shape CVVC · "Kluft" · 5 letters · shape CCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

Kauf ← akuf · kafu · kauff · kkauf · kuaf
Kluft ← kkluft · klfut · klluft · klufft · kluftt · klutf · kulft · lkuft

Frequency comparison

Kauf#1,668

Kluft#21,316

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Kauf" and "Kluft" be used interchangeably?

No. They are said differently ([kaʊ̯f] versus [klʊft]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.

Which is more common, "Kauf" or "Kluft"?

"Kauf" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #1,668 in our German list, against #21,316 for "Kluft". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering Kauf vs Kluft

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