trägevstränkeWhat's the difference?

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

Which to use

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

#22,926
“träge” frequency rank
#46,338
“tränke” frequency rank
69264
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature träge tränke
Definition ohne inneren Antrieb 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs tränken

Where the spellings diverge

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

5 ch
träge
6 ch
tränke

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: träge is [ˈtʁɛːɡə] while tränke is [ˈtʁɛŋkə]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 69264, 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]. tränke is at rank #46,338, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈtʁɛŋkə].

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 69264, this pair ranks #481,923 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of träge vs tränke

Shared letters: ertä. Private to "träge": g. Private to "tränke": kn.

"träge" · 5 letters · shape CCVCV  ·  "tränke" · 6 letters · shape CCVCCV

Frequency comparison

träge#22,926
tränke#46,338

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "träge" and "tränke" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "träge" is an adjective and "tränke" a verb, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "träge" or "tränke"?
"träge" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #22,926 in our German list, against #46,338 for "tränke". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering träge vs tränke

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “träge”; for a verb, it's “tränke”.
  • 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