KrautvsKräuterWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#15,414
“Kraut” frequency rank
#12,329
“Kräuter” frequency rank
27743
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Kraut Kräuter
Definition Pflanze, die für medizinische Zwecke verwendet wird Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Kraut

Where the spellings diverge

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

5 ch
Kraut
7 ch
Kräuter

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Kraut ([kʁaʊ̯t]) 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 differ by 2 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 27743, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Kraut is recorded at frequency rank #15,414, classified as anoun, pronounced [kʁaʊ̯t]. 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 27743, this pair ranks #1,796,608 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Kraut vs Kräuter

Shared letters: krtu. Private to "Kraut": a. Private to "Kräuter": .

"Kraut" · 5 letters · shape CCVVC  ·  "Kräuter" · 7 letters · shape CCVVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Krautkarut · kkraut · kratu · krautt · krraut · kruat · rkaut

Frequency comparison

Kraut#15,414
Kräuter#12,329

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Kraut" and "Kräuter" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([kʁaʊ̯t] versus [ˈkʁɔɪ̯tɐ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Kraut" or "Kräuter"?
"Kräuter" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #12,329 in our German list, against #15,414 for "Kraut". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Kraut 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 “Kraut” 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