klugervsklugesWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#20,313
“kluger” frequency rank
#40,035
“kluges” frequency rank
60348
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature kluger kluges
Definition Nominativ Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs klug Nominativ Singular Neutrum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs klug

Where the spellings diverge

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

6 ch
kluger
6 ch
kluges

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. kluger ([ˈkluːɡɐ]) and kluges ([ˈkluːɡəs]) 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 a single letter - r in “kluger” becomes s in “kluges”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 60348, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

kluger is recorded at frequency rank #20,313, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈkluːɡɐ]. 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 60348, this pair ranks #790,351 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of kluger vs kluges

Shared letters: egklu. Private to "kluger": r. Private to "kluges": s.

"kluger" · 6 letters · shape CCVCVC  ·  "kluges" · 6 letters · shape CCVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • klugerkkluger · klguer · klluger · kluegr · klugerr · klugger · klugre · kulger
  • klugeskkluges · klgues · klluges · kluegs · klugess · klugges · klugse · kulges

Frequency comparison

kluger#20,313
kluges#40,035

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "kluger" and "kluges" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈkluːɡɐ] versus [ˈkluːɡəs]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "kluger" or "kluges"?
"kluger" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #20,313 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 kluger vs kluges

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 “kluger” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list