kratzvsKrätzeWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: kratz is a verb, Krätze is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“kratz” is a verb and “Krätze” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#39,484
“kratz” frequency rank
#44,028
“Krätze” frequency rank
83512
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature kratz Krätze
Definition 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs kratzen stark juckende Hautkrankheit, die durch sich in die Haut einbohrende Milben verursacht ist

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set kratz and Krätze apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
kratz
6 ch
Krätze

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

kratz and Krätze form a confusable pair in the German index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 1 letter(s) in length - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 83512, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

kratz is recorded at frequency rank #39,484, classified as averb, pronounced [kʁat͡s]. Krätze is at rank #44,028, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈkʁɛt͡sə].

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 83512, this pair ranks #138,673 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Frequency comparison

kratz#39,484
Krätze#44,028

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "kratz" and "Krätze" be used interchangeably?
No, "kratz" and "Krätze" have distinct meanings and cannot be swapped without changing the meaning of a sentence. Understanding the specific definition and context for each word is essential for correct usage.

Remembering kratz vs Krätze

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “kratz”; for a noun, it's “Krätze”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “kratz” 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