KranvsKränzeWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#18,605
“Kran” frequency rank
#43,309
“Kränze” frequency rank
61914
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Kran Kränze
Definition manuell oder motorisch betriebene, mit einem (beweglichen) Ausleger versehene Vorrichtung, mithilfe derer Lasten oder sperrige Gegenstände gehoben und/oder versetzt werden Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Kranz

Where the spellings diverge

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

4 ch
Kran
6 ch
Kränze

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Kran ([kʁaːn]) and Kränze ([ˈkʁɛnt͡sə]) 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 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 61914, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Kran is recorded at frequency rank #18,605, classified as anoun, pronounced [kʁaːn]. Kränze is at rank #43,309, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈkʁɛnt͡sə].

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 61914, this pair ranks #732,060 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Kran vs Kränze

Shared letters: knr. Private to "Kran": a. Private to "Kränze": ezä.

"Kran" · 4 letters · shape CCVC  ·  "Kränze" · 6 letters · shape CCVCCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Krankarn · kkran · krann · krna · krran · rkan

Frequency comparison

Kran#18,605
Kränze#43,309

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Kran" and "Kränze" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([kʁaːn] versus [ˈkʁɛnt͡sə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Kran" or "Kränze"?
"Kran" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #18,605 in our German list, against #43,309 for "Kränze". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Kran vs Kränze

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 “Kran” 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