klagen vs klagten, What's the Difference?

Which to use

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

#4,212
“klagen” frequency rank: #45,387
“klagten” frequency rank: 49599
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature	klagen	klagten
Definition	einen Verlust bejammern	1. Person Plural Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs klagen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set klagen and klagten apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch

klagen

7 ch

klagten

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. klagen ([ˈklaːɡn̩]) and klagten ([ˈklaːktn̩]) 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 49599, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

klagen is recorded at frequency rank #4,212, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈklaːɡn̩]. klagten is at rank #45,387, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈklaːktn̩].

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 49599, this pair ranks #1,205,380 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of klagen vs klagten

Shared letters: aegkln. Private to "klagen": -. Private to "klagten": t.

"klagen" · 6 letters · shape CCVCVC · "klagten" · 7 letters · shape CCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

klagen ← kalgen · kklagen · klaegn · klagenn · klaggen · klagne · klgaen · kllagen
klagten ← kalgten · kklagten · klagetn · klaggten · klagtenn · klagtne · klagtten · klatgen

Frequency comparison

klagen#4,212

klagten#45,387

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "klagen" and "klagten" be used interchangeably?

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

Which is more common, "klagen" or "klagten"?

"klagen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #4,212 in our German list, against #45,387 for "klagten". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering klagen vs klagten

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