trägevstrübeWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#22,926
“träge” frequency rank
#34,407
“trübe” frequency rank
57333
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature träge trübe
Definition ohne inneren Antrieb Nominativ Singular Femininum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs trüb

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set träge and trübe apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
träge
5 ch
trübe

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. träge ([ˈtʁɛːɡə]) and trübe ([ˈtʁyːbə]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 57333, 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]. trübe is at rank #34,407, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈtʁyːbə].

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 57333, this pair ranks #905,332 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of träge vs trübe

Shared letters: ert. Private to "träge": . Private to "trübe": .

"träge" · 5 letters · shape CCVCV  ·  "trübe" · 5 letters · shape CCVCV

Frequency comparison

träge#22,926
trübe#34,407

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "träge" and "trübe" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈtʁɛːɡə] versus [ˈtʁyːbə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "träge" or "trübe"?
"träge" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #22,926 in our German list, against #34,407 for "trübe". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering träge vs trübe

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 “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