Which to use
“Träger” and “Träne” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #3,689
- “Träger” frequency rank
- #21,803
- “Träne” frequency rank
- 25492
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Träger | Träne |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | ein Lebewesen, welches etwas oder jemanden trägt | salziger Tropfen, den das Auge beim Weinen vergießt |
Where the eye mixes Träger and Träne
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence. Träger runs 6 letters (CCVCVC) against Träne's 5 (CCVCV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses Träger with Träne
A purely visual mix-up. Träger ([ˈtʁɛːɡɐ]) and Träne ([ˈtʁɛːnə]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 25492, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Träger is recorded at frequency rank #3,689, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈtʁɛːɡɐ]. Träne is at rank #21,803, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈtʁɛːnə].
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 25492, this pair ranks #1,832,467 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Träger vs Träne
Shared letters: ertä. Private to "Träger": g. Private to "Träne": n.
"Träger" · 6 letters · shape CCVCVC · "Träne" · 5 letters · shape CCVCV
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "Träger" for "Träne" ever safe?
Frequency check: "Träger" vs "Träne" - which ranks higher?
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 "Träger" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Träne" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,832,467 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Träger" and "Träne" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "tine vs Träne". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,832,467 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.