Which to use
“Klage” is a noun and “klau” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #3,898
- “Klage” frequency rank
- #38,851
- “klau” frequency rank
- 42749
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Klage | klau |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | sprachlich gefasste Äußerung unlustvoller Gefühle von Schmerz, Leid oder Trauer, etwa über den Tod eines Menschen | 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs klauen |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Klage and klau apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
Klage and klau form a confusable pair in the German index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 1 letter(s) in length - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 42749, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Klage is recorded at frequency rank #3,898, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈklaːɡə]. klau is at rank #38,851, tagged as averb, pronounced [klaʊ̯].
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 42749, this pair ranks #1,439,693 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "Klage" and "klau" be used interchangeably?
Remembering Klage vs klau
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “Klage”; for a verb, it's “klau”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “Klage” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable