KlagevsKlausConfusable pair

Which to use

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

#3,898
“Klage” frequency rank
#1,775
“Klaus” frequency rank
5673
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Klage Klaus
Definition sprachlich gefasste Äußerung unlustvoller Gefühle von Schmerz, Leid oder Trauer, etwa über den Tod eines Menschen meist an eine Synagoge angeschlossenes Lehrhaus oder angeschlossene Schule, in der Juden ihre Tora- und Talmudstudien betreiben können

Where the eye mixes Klage and Klaus

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.

5 ch
Klage
5 ch
Klaus

Look-alike desk: Klage vs Klaus

A purely visual mix-up. Klage ([ˈklaːɡə]) and Klaus ([klaʊ̯s]) 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 5673, 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]. Klaus is at rank #1,775, tagged as anoun, pronounced [klaʊ̯s].

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 5673, this pair ranks #1,994,070 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Klage vs Klaus

Shared letters: akl. Private to "Klage": eg. Private to "Klaus": su.

"Klage" · 5 letters · shape CCVCV  ·  "Klaus" · 5 letters · shape CCVVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Klagekalge · kklage · klaeg · klagge · klgae · kllage · lkage
  • Klauskalus · kklaus · klasu · klauss · kllaus · kluas · lkaus

Frequently Asked Questions

Is swapping "Klage" for "Klaus" ever safe?
No. They are said differently ([ˈklaːɡə] versus [klaʊ̯s]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Klage" or "Klaus"?
"Klaus" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #1,775 in our German list, against #3,898 for "Klage". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

After this comparison

Eye-level mix-up between "Klage" and "Klaus" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.

  • Full dictionary entry for "Klage" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "Klaus" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #1,994,070 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "Klage" and "Klaus" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "karge vs Klage". 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 #1,994,070 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list