Which to use
“pflegen” and “plagen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #5,872
- “pflegen” frequency rank
- #24,074
- “plagen” frequency rank
- 29946
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | pflegen | plagen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | sich sorgend um jemanden oder etwas kümmern (häufig um einen anvertrauten Menschen) | sich großen Anstrengungen unterziehen |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set pflegen and plagen apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. pflegen ([ˈp͡fleːɡn̩]) and plagen ([ˈplaːɡn̩]) 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 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 29946, 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]. plagen is at rank #24,074, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈplaːɡn̩].
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 29946, this pair ranks #1,757,260 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of pflegen vs plagen
Shared letters: eglnp. Private to "pflegen": f. Private to "plagen": a.
"pflegen" · 7 letters · shape CCCVCVC · "plagen" · 6 letters · shape CCVCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "pflegen" and "plagen" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "pflegen" or "plagen"?
Remembering pflegen vs plagen
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