KratzervsKräuterWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#14,110
“Kratzer” frequency rank
#12,329
“Kräuter” frequency rank
26439
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Kratzer Kräuter
Definition kleine bis mittelgroße Wunde oder Beschädigung, die durch bewegte Berührung mit einem spitzen Gegenstand hervorgerufen wurde Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Kraut

Where the spellings diverge

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

7 ch
Kratzer
7 ch
Kräuter

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Kratzer ([ˈkʁat͡sɐ]) and Kräuter ([ˈkʁɔɪ̯tɐ]) 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 26439, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Kratzer is recorded at frequency rank #14,110, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈkʁat͡sɐ]. Kräuter is at rank #12,329, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈkʁɔɪ̯tɐ].

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 26439, this pair ranks #1,818,092 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Kratzer vs Kräuter

Shared letters: ekrt. Private to "Kratzer": az. Private to "Kräuter": .

"Kratzer" · 7 letters · shape CCVCCVC  ·  "Kräuter" · 7 letters · shape CCVVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Kratzerkartzer · kkratzer · kratezr · krattzer · kratzerr · kratzre · kratzzer · krazter

Frequency comparison

Kratzer#14,110
Kräuter#12,329

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Kratzer" and "Kräuter" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈkʁat͡sɐ] versus [ˈkʁɔɪ̯tɐ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Kratzer" or "Kräuter"?
"Kräuter" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #12,329 in our German list, against #14,110 for "Kratzer". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Kratzer vs Kräuter

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 “Kratzer” 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