Which to use
“kleine” is an adjective and “klink” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #340
- “kleine” frequency rank
- #38,853
- “klink” frequency rank
- 39193
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | kleine | klink |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Nominativ Singular Femininum Positiv der starken Flexion des Adjektivs klein | 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs klinken |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set kleine and klink apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: kleine is [ˈklaɪ̯nə] while klink is [klɪŋk]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 39193, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
kleine is recorded at frequency rank #340, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈklaɪ̯nə]. klink is at rank #38,853, tagged as averb, pronounced [klɪŋk].
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 39193, this pair ranks #1,543,488 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of kleine vs klink
Shared letters: ikln. Private to "kleine": e. Private to "klink": -.
"kleine" · 6 letters · shape CCVVCV · "klink" · 5 letters · shape CCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "kleine" and "klink" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "kleine" or "klink"?
Remembering kleine vs klink
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “kleine”; for a verb, it's “klink”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “kleine” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable