klärenvsKlärungWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: klären is a verb, Klärung is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“klären” is a verb and “Klärung” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#3,900
“klären” frequency rank
#11,684
“Klärung” frequency rank
15584
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature klären Klärung
Definition mitteilen, wie sich etwas in Wahrheit verhält Beseitigung von Meinungsverschiedenheiten/Missverständnissen

Where the spellings diverge

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

6 ch
klären
7 ch
Klärung

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: klären is [ˈklɛːʁən] while Klärung is [ˈklɛːʁʊŋ]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 15584, 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]. Klärung is at rank #11,684, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈklɛːʁʊŋ].

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 15584, this pair ranks #1,942,710 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of klären vs Klärung

Shared letters: klnrä. Private to "klären": e. Private to "Klärung": gu.

"klären" · 6 letters · shape CCVCVC  ·  "Klärung" · 7 letters · shape CCVCVCC

Frequency comparison

klären#3,900
Klärung#11,684

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "klären" and "Klärung" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "klären" is a verb and "Klärung" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "klären" or "Klärung"?
"klären" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #3,900 in our German list, against #11,684 for "Klärung". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering klären vs Klärung

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “klären”; for a noun, it's “Klärung”.
  • 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

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list