Which to use
“trübe” is an adjective and “trüben” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #34,407
- “trübe” frequency rank
- #20,753
- “trüben” frequency rank
- 55160
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | trübe | trüben |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Nominativ Singular Femininum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs trüb | dunkel machen oder werden |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set trübe and trüben apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: trübe is [ˈtʁyːbə] while trüben is [ˈtʁyːbn̩]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “trübe” sits inside “trüben”, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 55160, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
trübe is recorded at frequency rank #34,407, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈtʁyːbə]. trüben is at rank #20,753, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈtʁyːbn̩].
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 55160, this pair ranks #990,449 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of trübe vs trüben
Shared letters: bertü. Private to "trübe": -. Private to "trüben": n.
"trübe" · 5 letters · shape CCVCV · "trüben" · 6 letters · shape CCVCVC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "trübe" and "trüben" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "trübe" or "trüben"?
Remembering trübe vs trüben
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “trübe”; for a verb, it's “trüben”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “trübe” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable