Which to use
“pflegen” and “pflügen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #5,872
- “pflegen” frequency rank
- #48,382
- “pflügen” frequency rank
- 54254
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | pflegen | pflügen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | sich sorgend um jemanden oder etwas kümmern (häufig um einen anvertrauten Menschen) | mit einem Pflug tätig sein |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set pflegen and pflügen apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. pflegen ([ˈp͡fleːɡn̩]) and pflügen ([ˈp͡flyːɡn̩]) 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 a single letter - e in “pflegen” becomes ü in “pflügen”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 54254, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
pflegen is recorded at frequency rank #5,872, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈp͡fleːɡn̩]. pflügen is at rank #48,382, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈp͡flyːɡn̩].
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 54254, this pair ranks #1,025,991 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of pflegen vs pflügen
Shared letters: efglnp. Private to "pflegen": -. Private to "pflügen": ü.
"pflegen" · 7 letters · shape CCCVCVC · "pflügen" · 7 letters · shape CCCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- pflegen ← fplegen · pfelgen · pfflegen · pfleegn · pflegenn · pfleggen · pflegne · pflgeen
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "pflegen" and "pflügen" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "pflegen" or "pflügen"?
Remembering pflegen vs pflügen
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 “pflegen” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable