Which to use
“key” and “Klee” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #8,577
- “key” frequency rank
- #19,623
- “Klee” frequency rank
- 28200
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | key | Klee |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Schlüssel | krautige Wiesen- und Futterpflanze, der Gattung Trifolium aus der Familie der Hülsenfrüchtler , mit meist drei-, selten vierteiligen Blättern und kugeligen Blüten |
Where the eye mixes key and Klee
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between key and Klee
A purely visual mix-up. key ([kiː]) 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 28200, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
key is recorded at frequency rank #8,577, classified as anoun, pronounced [kiː]. 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 28200, this pair ranks #1,788,850 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of key vs Klee
Shared letters: ek. Private to "key": y. Private to "Klee": l.
"key" · 3 letters · shape CVV · "Klee" · 4 letters · shape CCVV
Known mistypes of this pair
- Klee ← kele · kklee · kle · kllee · lkee
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "key" for "Klee" ever safe?
In ordinary German text, does "key" or "Klee" show up more?
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 "key" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Klee" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,788,850 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "key" and "Klee" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Klee vs Kölle". 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 #1,788,850 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.