KlauevsKlausWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#38,224
“Klaue” frequency rank
#1,775
“Klaus” frequency rank
39999
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Klaue Klaus
Definition Hornteil des Tierfußes, besonders Huf von Wiederkäuern, Kralle von Raubvögeln meist an eine Synagoge angeschlossenes Lehrhaus oder angeschlossene Schule, in der Juden ihre Tora- und Talmudstudien betreiben können

Where the spellings diverge

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

5 ch
Klaue
5 ch
Klaus

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Klaue ([ˈklaʊ̯ə]) and Klaus ([klaʊ̯s]) 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 - e in “Klaue” becomes s in “Klaus”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 39999, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Klaue is recorded at frequency rank #38,224, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈklaʊ̯ə]. Klaus is at rank #1,775, tagged as anoun, pronounced [klaʊ̯s].

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 39999, this pair ranks #1,520,884 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Klaue vs Klaus

Shared letters: aklu. Private to "Klaue": e. Private to "Klaus": s.

"Klaue" · 5 letters · shape CCVVV  ·  "Klaus" · 5 letters · shape CCVVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Klauekalue · kklaue · klaeu · kllaue · kluae · lkaue
  • Klauskalus · kklaus · klasu · klauss · kllaus · kluas · lkaus

Frequency comparison

Klaue#38,224
Klaus#1,775

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Klaue" and "Klaus" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈklaʊ̯ə] versus [klaʊ̯s]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Klaue" or "Klaus"?
"Klaus" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #1,775 in our German list, against #38,224 for "Klaue". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering Klaue vs Klaus

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 “Klaue” 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