klopfvsklopftConfusable pair

Which to use

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

#35,871
“klopf” frequency rank
#18,298
“klopft” frequency rank
54169
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature klopf klopft
Definition 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs klopfen 2. Person Plural Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs klopfen

Where the eye mixes klopf and klopft

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. klopf runs 5 letters (CCVCC) against klopft's 6 (CCVCCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.

5 ch
klopf
6 ch
klopft

Look-alike desk: klopf vs klopft

A purely visual mix-up. klopf ([klɔp͡f]) and klopft ([klɔp͡ft]) 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 extra letter(s) - “klopf” sits inside “klopft”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 54169, 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]. klopft is at rank #18,298, tagged as averb, pronounced [klɔp͡ft].

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 54169, this pair ranks #1,029,426 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of klopf vs klopft

Shared letters: fklop. Private to "klopf": -. Private to "klopft": t.

"klopf" · 5 letters · shape CCVCC  ·  "klopft" · 6 letters · shape CCVCCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • klopfkklopf · kllopf · klofp · klopff · kloppf · klpof · kolpf · lkopf
  • klopftkklopft · kllopft · klofpt · klopfft · klopftt · kloppft · kloptf · klpoft

Frequently Asked Questions

Is swapping "klopf" for "klopft" ever safe?
No. They are said differently ([klɔp͡f] versus [klɔp͡ft]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Frequency check: "klopf" vs "klopft" - which ranks higher?
"klopft" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #18,298 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.

What to do next

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 "klopft" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #1,029,426 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "klopf" and "klopft" 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 #1,029,426 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