Which to use
“klagen” and “klauen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #4,212
- “klagen” frequency rank
- #7,076
- “klauen” frequency rank
- 11288
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | klagen | klauen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | einen Verlust bejammern | etwas entwenden, stehlen |
Where the eye mixes klagen and klauen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. klagen (CCVCVC) and klauen (CCVVVC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Visual trap between klagen and klauen
A purely visual mix-up. klagen ([ˈklaːɡn̩]) and klauen ([ˈklaʊ̯ən]) 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 a single letter - g in “klagen” becomes u in “klauen”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 11288, 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]. klauen is at rank #7,076, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈklaʊ̯ən].
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 11288, this pair ranks #1,970,662 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of klagen vs klauen
Shared letters: aekln. Private to "klagen": g. Private to "klauen": u.
"klagen" · 6 letters · shape CCVCVC · "klauen" · 6 letters · shape CCVVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "klagen" and "klauen" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "klagen" or "klauen"?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "klagen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "klauen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,970,662 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "klagen" and "klauen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "klagten vs klauen". 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 #1,970,662 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.