KlebervsKleeWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#17,341
“Kleber” frequency rank
#19,623
“Klee” frequency rank
36964
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Kleber Klee
Definition Substanz, die genutzt werden kann, um zwei Teile miteinander zu verbinden krautige Wiesen- und Futterpflanze, der Gattung Trifolium aus der Familie der Hülsenfrüchtler , mit meist drei-, selten vierteiligen Blättern und kugeligen Blüten

Where the spellings diverge

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

6 ch
Kleber
4 ch
Klee

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Kleber ([ˈkleːbɐ]) and Klee ([kleː]) 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 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 36964, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Kleber is recorded at frequency rank #17,341, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈkleːbɐ]. Klee is at rank #19,623, tagged as anoun, pronounced [kleː].

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 36964, this pair ranks #1,602,221 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Kleber vs Klee

Shared letters: ekl. Private to "Kleber": br. Private to "Klee": -.

"Kleber" · 6 letters · shape CCVCVC  ·  "Klee" · 4 letters · shape CCVV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Kleberkelber · kkleber · klbeer · klebber · kleberr · klebre · kleebr · klleber
  • Kleekele · kklee · kle · kllee · lkee

Frequency comparison

Kleber#17,341
Klee#19,623

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Kleber" and "Klee" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈkleːbɐ] versus [kleː]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Kleber" or "Klee"?
"Kleber" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #17,341 in our German list, against #19,623 for "Klee". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Kleber vs Klee

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 “Kleber” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list