klingenvsklonenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#4,715
“klingen” frequency rank
#40,034
“klonen” frequency rank
44749
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature klingen klonen
Definition einen glockenartigen Ton von sich geben ungeschlechtlich fortpflanzen, zum Beispiel indem man Stecklinge oder Senker setzt

Where the spellings diverge

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

7 ch
klingen
6 ch
klonen

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. klingen ([ˈklɪŋən]) and klonen ([ˈkloːnən]) 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 44749, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

klingen is recorded at frequency rank #4,715, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈklɪŋən]. klonen is at rank #40,034, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈkloːnən].

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 44749, this pair ranks #1,376,024 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of klingen vs klonen

Shared letters: ekln. Private to "klingen": gi. Private to "klonen": o.

"klingen" · 7 letters · shape CCVCCVC  ·  "klonen" · 6 letters · shape CCVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • klingenkilngen · kklingen · klignen · klinegn · klingenn · klinggen · klingne · klinngen
  • klonenkklonen · kllonen · klnoen · kloenn · klonenn · klonne · klonnen · kolnen

Frequency comparison

klingen#4,715
klonen#40,034

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "klingen" and "klonen" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈklɪŋən] versus [ˈkloːnən]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "klingen" or "klonen"?
"klingen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #4,715 in our German list, against #40,034 for "klonen". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering klingen vs klonen

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 “klingen” 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