Which to use
“klebe” and “klemme” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #41,281
- “klebe” frequency rank
- #31,125
- “klemme” frequency rank
- 72406
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | klebe | klemme |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs kleben | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs klemmen |
Where the eye mixes klebe and klemme
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence. klebe runs 5 letters (CCVCV) against klemme's 6 (CCVCCV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: klebe vs klemme
A purely visual mix-up. klebe ([ˈkleːbə]) and klemme ([ˈklɛmə]) 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 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 72406, 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]. klemme is at rank #31,125, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈklɛmə].
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 72406, this pair ranks #389,240 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of klebe vs klemme
Shared letters: ekl. Private to "klebe": b. Private to "klemme": m.
"klebe" · 5 letters · shape CCVCV · "klemme" · 6 letters · shape CCVCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "klebe" for "klemme" ever safe?
In ordinary German text, does "klebe" or "klemme" show up more?
After this comparison
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 "klemme" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #389,240 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "klebe" and "klemme" 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 #389,240 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.