kleine

[ˈklaɪ̯nə]

/[ˈklaɪ̯nə]/ adj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

The verdict

“kleine” is in the everyday core of German, ranked #340 in German word frequency and used as an adjective.

#340
frequency rank, German
6
letters
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Nominativ Singular Femininum Positiv der starken Flexion des Adjektivs klein

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

kleine vs Kleve
50% similar
kleine vs kling
67% similar
kleine vs klink
67% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for kleine
PropertyValue
Headwordkleine
LanguageGerman
Part of speechAdjective
IPA[ˈklaɪ̯nə]
Letters6
Frequency rank#340
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “kleine” sits in German frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). kleine lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The German entry for kleine is 6 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈklaɪ̯nə]. Corpus data places it at rank #340 in overall German word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 11 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for kleine, with forms such as "keline", "kkleine", and "kleien". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "Kleve", "kling", "klink", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct German form is kleine, spelled K-L-E-I-N-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Nominativ Singular Femininum Positiv der starken Flexion des Adjektivs klein
  2. 2
    Akkusativ Singular Femininum Positiv der starken Flexion des Adjektivs klein
  3. 3
    Nominativ Plural Positiv der starken Flexion des Adjektivs klein
  4. 4
    Akkusativ Plural Positiv der starken Flexion des Adjektivs klein
  5. 5
    Nominativ Singular Maskulinum Positiv der schwachen Flexion des Adjektivs klein
  6. 6
    Nominativ Singular Femininum Positiv der schwachen Flexion des Adjektivs klein
  7. 7
    Akkusativ Singular Femininum Positiv der schwachen Flexion des Adjektivs klein
  8. 8
    Nominativ Singular Neutrum Positiv der schwachen Flexion des Adjektivs klein
  9. 9
    Akkusativ Singular Neutrum Positiv der schwachen Flexion des Adjektivs klein
  10. 10
    Nominativ Singular Femininum Positiv der gemischten Flexion des Adjektivs klein
  11. 11
    Akkusativ Singular Femininum Positiv der gemischten Flexion des Adjektivs klein

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: keline,kkleine,kleien,kleinne,klenie,kliene,klleine,lkeine

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of kleine - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

keline2kkleine1kleien2kleinne1klenie2kliene2klleine1lkeine2
Edit distance from "kleine"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 German corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "kleine"?
"kleine" is spelled K-L-E-I-N-E. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈklaɪ̯nə].
What does "kleine" mean?
As an adjective, "kleine" means: Nominativ Singular Femininum Positiv der starken Flexion des Adjektivs klein
What words are commonly confused with "kleine"?
"kleine" is commonly confused with "Kleve", "kling", "klink". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "kleine"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "kleine" is [ˈklaɪ̯nə]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "kleine" come from?
"kleine" is a German word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “kleine”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct German spelling is K-L-E-I-N-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈklaɪ̯nə] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Kleve” - see the side-by-side comparison. kleine vs Kleve
  • Browse more German words and confusable pairs in the same reference. German words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list