KlingelvsKlinkeWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#20,975
“Klingel” frequency rank
#26,480
“Klinke” frequency rank
47455
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Klingel Klinke
Definition Gerät zum Klingeln Hebel zum Öffnen einer Tür durch Verschieben eines Riegels

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Klingel and Klinke apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
Klingel
6 ch
Klinke

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Klingel ([ˈklɪŋl̩]) and Klinke ([ˈklɪŋkə]) 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 47455, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Klingel is recorded at frequency rank #20,975, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈklɪŋl̩]. Klinke is at rank #26,480, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈklɪŋkə].

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 47455, this pair ranks #1,283,616 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Klingel vs Klinke

Shared letters: eikln. Private to "Klingel": g. Private to "Klinke": -.

"Klingel" · 7 letters · shape CCVCCVC  ·  "Klinke" · 6 letters · shape CCVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Klingelkilngel · kklingel · klignel · klinegl · klingell · klinggel · klingle · klinngel
  • Klinkekilnke · kklinke · klikne · klinek · klinkke · klinnke · kllinke · klnike

Frequency comparison

Klingel#20,975
Klinke#26,480

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Klingel" and "Klinke" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈklɪŋl̩] versus [ˈklɪŋkə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Klingel" or "Klinke"?
"Klingel" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #20,975 in our German list, against #26,480 for "Klinke". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Klingel vs Klinke

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 “Klingel” 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