Which to use
“Klaue” and “Knabe” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #38,224
- “Klaue” frequency rank
- #18,951
- “Knabe” frequency rank
- 57175
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Klaue | Knabe |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Hornteil des Tierfußes, besonders Huf von Wiederkäuern, Kralle von Raubvögeln | Kind männlichen Geschlechts |
Where the eye mixes Klaue and Knabe
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence. Klaue (CCVVV) and Knabe (CCVCV) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Why the eye confuses Klaue with Knabe
A purely visual mix-up. Klaue ([ˈklaʊ̯ə]) and Knabe ([ˈknaːbə]) 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 57175, 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]. Knabe is at rank #18,951, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈknaːbə].
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 57175, this pair ranks #911,578 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of Klaue vs Knabe
Shared letters: aek. Private to "Klaue": lu. Private to "Knabe": bn.
"Klaue" · 5 letters · shape CCVVV · "Knabe" · 5 letters · shape CCVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "Klaue" for "Knabe" ever safe?
Frequency check: "Klaue" vs "Knabe" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Eye-level mix-up between "Klaue" and "Knabe" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "Klaue" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Knabe" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #911,578 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Klaue" and "Knabe" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Klaue vs Knaus". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #911,578 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.