KlausvsKlausurWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#1,775
“Klaus” frequency rank
#11,683
“Klausur” frequency rank
13458
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Klaus Klausur
Definition meist an eine Synagoge angeschlossenes Lehrhaus oder angeschlossene Schule, in der Juden ihre Tora- und Talmudstudien betreiben können Einsamkeit, Abgeschlossenheit

Where the spellings diverge

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

5 ch
Klaus
7 ch
Klausur

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Klaus ([klaʊ̯s]) and Klausur ([klaʊ̯ˈzuːɐ̯]) 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 2 extra letter(s) - “Klaus” sits inside “Klausur”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 13458, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Klaus is recorded at frequency rank #1,775, classified as anoun, pronounced [klaʊ̯s]. Klausur is at rank #11,683, tagged as anoun, pronounced [klaʊ̯ˈzuːɐ̯].

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 13458, this pair ranks #1,957,855 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Klaus vs Klausur

Shared letters: aklsu. Private to "Klaus": -. Private to "Klausur": r.

"Klaus" · 5 letters · shape CCVVC  ·  "Klausur" · 7 letters · shape CCVVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Klauskalus · kklaus · klasu · klauss · kllaus · kluas · lkaus
  • Klausurkalusur · kklausur · klasuur · klausru · klaussur · klausurr · klauusr · kllausur

Frequency comparison

Klaus#1,775
Klausur#11,683

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Klaus" and "Klausur" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([klaʊ̯s] versus [klaʊ̯ˈzuːɐ̯]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Klaus" or "Klausur"?
"Klaus" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #1,775 in our German list, against #11,683 for "Klausur". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Klaus vs Klausur

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 “Klaus” 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