Which to use
“Tränen” is a noun and “trügen” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #3,690
- “Tränen” frequency rank
- #48,553
- “trügen” frequency rank
- 52243
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Tränen | trügen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Träne | etwas Unzutreffendes vortäuschen |
Where the eye mixes Tränen and trügen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence. Tränen and trügen follow the identical consonant-vowel pattern (CCVCVC). Same shape at a glance is often the real trap, independent of shared letters.
Visual trap between Tränen and trügen
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: Tränen is [ˈtʁɛːnən] while trügen is [ˈtʁyːɡn̩]. 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 (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 52243, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Tränen is recorded at frequency rank #3,690, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈtʁɛːnən]. trügen is at rank #48,553, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈtʁyːɡn̩].
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 52243, this pair ranks #1,104,460 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of Tränen vs trügen
Shared letters: enrt. Private to "Tränen": ä. Private to "trügen": gü.
"Tränen" · 6 letters · shape CCVCVC · "trügen" · 6 letters · shape CCVCVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "Tränen" and "trügen" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "Tränen" or "trügen"?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "Tränen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "trügen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,104,460 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Tränen" and "trügen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "trügen vs trügt". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,104,460 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.