trugvstrügenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“trug” and “trügen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#2,471
“trug” frequency rank
#48,553
“trügen” frequency rank
51024
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature trug trügen
Definition 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs tragen etwas Unzutreffendes vortäuschen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set trug and trügen apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

4 ch
trug
6 ch
trügen

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. trug ([tʁuːk]) and trügen ([ˈtʁyːɡn̩]) 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 2 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 51024, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

trug is recorded at frequency rank #2,471, classified as averb, pronounced [tʁuːk]. 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 51024, this pair ranks #1,151,403 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of trug vs trügen

Shared letters: grt. Private to "trug": u. Private to "trügen": enü.

"trug" · 4 letters · shape CCVC  ·  "trügen" · 6 letters · shape CCVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • trugrtug · trgu · trrug · trugg · ttrug · turg

Frequency comparison

trug#2,471
trügen#48,553

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "trug" and "trügen" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([tʁuːk] versus [ˈtʁyːɡn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "trug" or "trügen"?
"trug" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #2,471 in our German list, against #48,553 for "trügen". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering trug vs trügen

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “trug” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list