Which to use
“klebe” is a verb and “klein” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #41,281
- “klebe” frequency rank
- #995
- “klein” frequency rank
- 42276
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | klebe | klein |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs kleben | von geringem Ausmaß |
Where the eye mixes klebe and klein
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Look-alike desk: klebe vs klein
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: klebe is [ˈkleːbə] while klein is [klaɪ̯n]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 42276, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
klebe is recorded at frequency rank #41,281, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈkleːbə]. klein is at rank #995, tagged as anadj, pronounced [klaɪ̯n].
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 42276, this pair ranks #1,454,348 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of klebe vs klein
Shared letters: ekl. Private to "klebe": b. Private to "klein": in.
"klebe" · 5 letters · shape CCVCV · "klein" · 5 letters · shape CCVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "klebe" and "klein" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "klebe" or "klein"?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "klebe" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "klein" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,454,348 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "klebe" and "klein" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "klebe vs Krebse". 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 #1,454,348 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.