klammvsKlaueWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: klamm is a adjective, Klaue is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“klamm” is an adjective and “Klaue” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#40,031
“klamm” frequency rank
#38,224
“Klaue” frequency rank
78255
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature klamm Klaue
Definition feucht, oft in Verbindung mit dem Empfinden von Kälte Hornteil des Tierfußes, besonders Huf von Wiederkäuern, Kralle von Raubvögeln

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set klamm and Klaue apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
klamm
5 ch
Klaue

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: klamm is [klam] while Klaue is [ˈklaʊ̯ə]. 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 (adjective vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 78255, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

klamm is recorded at frequency rank #40,031, classified as anadj, pronounced [klam]. Klaue is at rank #38,224, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈklaʊ̯ə].

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 78255, this pair ranks #242,399 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of klamm vs Klaue

Shared letters: akl. Private to "klamm": m. Private to "Klaue": eu.

"klamm" · 5 letters · shape CCVCC  ·  "Klaue" · 5 letters · shape CCVVV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • klammkalmm · kklamm · klam · kllamm · klmam · lkamm
  • Klauekalue · kklaue · klaeu · kllaue · kluae · lkaue

Frequency comparison

klamm#40,031
Klaue#38,224

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "klamm" and "Klaue" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "klamm" is an adjective and "Klaue" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "klamm" or "Klaue"?
"Klaue" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #38,224 in our German list, against #40,031 for "klamm". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering klamm vs Klaue

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “klamm”; for a noun, it's “Klaue”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “klamm” 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