KlugevsklugesWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: Kluge is a name, kluges is an adjective, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“Kluge” is a name and “kluges” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#9,392
“Kluge” frequency rank
#40,035
“kluges” frequency rank
49427
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Kluge kluges
Definition deutscher Nachname Nominativ Singular Neutrum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs klug

Where the spellings diverge

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

5 ch
Kluge
6 ch
kluges

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: Kluge is [ˈkluːɡə] while kluges is [ˈkluːɡəs]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “Kluge” sits inside “kluges”, and the parts of speech differ too (name vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 49427, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Kluge is recorded at frequency rank #9,392, classified as aname, pronounced [ˈkluːɡə]. kluges is at rank #40,035, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈkluːɡəs].

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 49427, this pair ranks #1,211,920 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Kluge vs kluges

Shared letters: egklu. Private to "Kluge": -. Private to "kluges": s.

"Kluge" · 5 letters · shape CCVCV  ·  "kluges" · 6 letters · shape CCVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Klugekkluge · klgue · klluge · klueg · klugge · kulge · lkuge
  • klugeskkluges · klgues · klluges · kluegs · klugess · klugges · klugse · kulges

Frequency comparison

Kluge#9,392
kluges#40,035

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Kluge" and "kluges" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "Kluge" is a name and "kluges" an adjective, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "Kluge" or "kluges"?
"Kluge" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #9,392 in our German list, against #40,035 for "kluges". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Kluge vs kluges

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a name, it's “Kluge”; for an adjective, it's “kluges”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “Kluge” 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