Which to use
“kleiner” and “kleines” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #860
- “kleiner” frequency rank
- #1,300
- “kleines” frequency rank
- 2160
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | kleiner | kleines |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Nominativ Singular des Adjektivs klein | Nominativ Singular Neutrum Positiv der starken Flexion des Adjektivs klein |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set kleiner and kleines apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. kleiner ([ˈklaɪ̯nɐ]) and kleines ([ˈklaɪ̯nəs]) 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 a single letter - r in “kleiner” becomes s in “kleines”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 2160, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
kleiner is recorded at frequency rank #860, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈklaɪ̯nɐ]. kleines is at rank #1,300, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈklaɪ̯nəs].
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 2160, this pair ranks #2,002,966 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of kleiner vs kleines
Shared letters: eikln. Private to "kleiner": r. Private to "kleines": s.
"kleiner" · 7 letters · shape CCVVCVC · "kleines" · 7 letters · shape CCVVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "kleiner" and "kleines" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "kleiner" or "kleines"?
Remembering kleiner vs kleines
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 “kleiner” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable