klopfvsklopfenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#35,871
“klopf” frequency rank
#12,745
“klopfen” frequency rank
48616
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature klopf klopfen
Definition 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs klopfen durch periodische Bewegung ein rhythmisches Geräusch erzeugen

Where the eye mixes klopf and klopfen

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. klopf runs 5 letters (CCVCC) against klopfen's 7 (CCVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.

5 ch
klopf
7 ch
klopfen

Look-alike desk: klopf vs klopfen

A purely visual mix-up. klopf ([klɔp͡f]) and klopfen ([ˈklɔp͡fn̩]) 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 extra letter(s) - “klopf” sits inside “klopfen”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 48616, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

klopf is recorded at frequency rank #35,871, classified as averb, pronounced [klɔp͡f]. klopfen is at rank #12,745, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈklɔp͡fn̩].

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 48616, this pair ranks #1,241,971 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of klopf vs klopfen

Shared letters: fklop. Private to "klopf": -. Private to "klopfen": en.

"klopf" · 5 letters · shape CCVCC  ·  "klopfen" · 7 letters · shape CCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • klopfkklopf · kllopf · klofp · klopff · kloppf · klpof · kolpf · lkopf
  • klopfenkklopfen · kllopfen · klofpen · klopefn · klopfenn · klopffen · klopfne · kloppfen

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "klopf" and "klopfen" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([klɔp͡f] versus [ˈklɔp͡fn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Frequency check: "klopf" vs "klopfen" - which ranks higher?
"klopfen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #12,745 in our German list, against #35,871 for "klopf". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

After this comparison

Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.

  • Full dictionary entry for "klopf" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "klopfen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #1,241,971 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "klopf" and "klopfen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "klipp vs klopf". Nearby pair
  • Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes

Confusion rank #1,241,971 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list