klagenvsklugesWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: klagen is a verb, kluges is an adjective, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“klagen” is a verb and “kluges” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#4,212
“klagen” frequency rank
#40,035
“kluges” frequency rank
44247
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature klagen kluges
Definition einen Verlust bejammern Nominativ Singular Neutrum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs klug

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set klagen and kluges apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch
klagen
6 ch
kluges

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: klagen is [ˈklaːɡn̩] while kluges is [ˈkluːɡəs]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 44247, 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]. kluges is at rank #40,035, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈkluːɡəs].

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 44247, this pair ranks #1,392,256 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of klagen vs kluges

Shared letters: egkl. Private to "klagen": an. Private to "kluges": su.

"klagen" · 6 letters · shape CCVCVC  ·  "kluges" · 6 letters · shape CCVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • klagenkalgen · kklagen · klaegn · klagenn · klaggen · klagne · klgaen · kllagen
  • klugeskkluges · klgues · klluges · kluegs · klugess · klugges · klugse · kulges

Frequency comparison

klagen#4,212
kluges#40,035

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "klagen" and "kluges" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "klagen" is a verb and "kluges" an adjective, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "klagen" or "kluges"?
"klagen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #4,212 in our German list, against #40,035 for "kluges". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering klagen vs kluges

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “klagen”; for an adjective, it's “kluges”.
  • 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

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list