KellevsKleeWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#36,441
“Kelle” frequency rank
#19,623
“Klee” frequency rank
56064
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Kelle Klee
Definition ein Schöpflöffel krautige Wiesen- und Futterpflanze, der Gattung Trifolium aus der Familie der Hülsenfrüchtler , mit meist drei-, selten vierteiligen Blättern und kugeligen Blüten

Where the spellings diverge

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

5 ch
Kelle
4 ch
Klee

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Kelle ([ˈkɛlə]) and Klee ([kleː]) 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 56064, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Kelle is recorded at frequency rank #36,441, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈkɛlə]. Klee is at rank #19,623, tagged as anoun, pronounced [kleː].

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 56064, this pair ranks #954,977 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Kelle vs Klee

Shared letters: ekl. Private to "Kelle": -. Private to "Klee": -.

"Kelle" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV  ·  "Klee" · 4 letters · shape CCVV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Kelleeklle · kelel · kkelle · klele
  • Kleekele · kklee · kle · kllee · lkee

Frequency comparison

Kelle#36,441
Klee#19,623

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Kelle" and "Klee" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈkɛlə] versus [kleː]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Kelle" or "Klee"?
"Klee" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #19,623 in our German list, against #36,441 for "Kelle". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Kelle vs Klee

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 “Kelle” 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