klären vs klärte, What's the Difference?

Which to use

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

#3,900
“klären” frequency rank: #45,390
“klärte” frequency rank: 49290
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature	klären	klärte
Definition	mitteilen, wie sich etwas in Wahrheit verhält	1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs klären

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set klären and klärte apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch

klären

6 ch

klärte

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. klären ([ˈklɛːʁən]) and klärte ([ˈklɛːɐ̯tə]) 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 49290, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

klären is recorded at frequency rank #3,900, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈklɛːʁən]. klärte is at rank #45,390, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈklɛːɐ̯tə].

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 49290, this pair ranks #1,217,010 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of klären vs klärte

Shared letters: eklrä. Private to "klären": n. Private to "klärte": t.

"klären" · 6 letters · shape CCVCVC · "klärte" · 6 letters · shape CCVCCV

Frequency comparison

klären#3,900

klärte#45,390

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "klären" and "klärte" be used interchangeably?

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

Which is more common, "klären" or "klärte"?

"klären" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #3,900 in our German list, against #45,390 for "klärte". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering klären vs klärte

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