trägevsTrägerWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: träge is a adjective, Träger is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“träge” is an adjective and “Träger” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#22,926
“träge” frequency rank
#3,689
“Träger” frequency rank
26615
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature träge Träger
Definition ohne inneren Antrieb ein Lebewesen, welches etwas oder jemanden trägt

Where the spellings diverge

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

5 ch
träge
6 ch
Träger

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: träge is [ˈtʁɛːɡə] while Träger is [ˈtʁɛːɡɐ]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “träge” sits inside “Träger”, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 26615, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

träge is recorded at frequency rank #22,926, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈtʁɛːɡə]. Träger is at rank #3,689, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈtʁɛːɡɐ].

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 26615, this pair ranks #1,815,295 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of träge vs Träger

Shared letters: egrtä. Private to "träge": -. Private to "Träger": -.

"träge" · 5 letters · shape CCVCV  ·  "Träger" · 6 letters · shape CCVCVC

Frequency comparison

träge#22,926
Träger#3,689

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "träge" and "Träger" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "träge" is an adjective and "Träger" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "träge" or "Träger"?
"Träger" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #3,689 in our German list, against #22,926 for "träge". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering träge vs Träger

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

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