krähtvskratzWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#46,792
“kräht” frequency rank
#39,484
“kratz” frequency rank
86276
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature kräht kratz
Definition 2. Person Plural Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs krähen 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs kratzen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set kräht and kratz apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
kräht
5 ch
kratz

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. kräht ([kʁɛːt]) and kratz ([kʁat͡s]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 3 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 86276, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

kräht is recorded at frequency rank #46,792, classified as averb, pronounced [kʁɛːt]. kratz is at rank #39,484, tagged as averb, pronounced [kʁat͡s].

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 86276, this pair ranks #96,090 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of kräht vs kratz

Shared letters: krt. Private to "kräht": . Private to "kratz": az.

"kräht" · 5 letters · shape CCVCC  ·  "kratz" · 5 letters · shape CCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • kratzkartz · kkratz · kratzz · krazt · krratz · krtaz · rkatz

Frequency comparison

kräht#46,792
kratz#39,484

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "kräht" and "kratz" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([kʁɛːt] versus [kʁat͡s]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "kräht" or "kratz"?
"kratz" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #39,484 in our German list, against #46,792 for "kräht". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering kräht vs kratz

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 “kräht” 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