Which to use
“träge” is an adjective and “trügt” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #22,926
- “träge” frequency rank
- #42,877
- “trügt” frequency rank
- 65803
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | träge | trügt |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | ohne inneren Antrieb | 2. Person Plural Konjunktiv II Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs tragen |
Where the eye mixes träge and trügt
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence. träge (CCVCV) and trügt (CCVCC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Why the eye confuses träge with trügt
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: träge is [ˈtʁɛːɡə] while trügt is [tʁyːkt]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 65803, 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]. trügt is at rank #42,877, tagged as averb, pronounced [tʁyːkt].
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 65803, this pair ranks #594,471 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of träge vs trügt
Shared letters: grt. Private to "träge": eä. Private to "trügt": ü.
"träge" · 5 letters · shape CCVCV · "trügt" · 5 letters · shape CCVCC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "träge" for "trügt" ever safe?
In ordinary German text, does "träge" or "trügt" 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 "trügt" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #594,471 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "träge" and "trügt" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "taut vs trügt". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #594,471 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.