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 eye mixes träge and trübe
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence. träge and trübe follow the identical consonant-vowel pattern (CCVCV). Same shape at a glance is often the real trap, independent of shared letters.
Why the eye confuses träge with trübe
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": gä. Private to "trübe": bü.
"träge" · 5 letters · shape CCVCV · "trübe" · 5 letters · shape CCVCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "träge" for "trübe" ever safe?
In ordinary German text, does "träge" or "trübe" show up more?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "träge" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "trübe" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #905,332 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "träge" and "trübe" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "trübe vs trügen". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #905,332 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.