Verschütten vs. vergießen vs. kleckern
The German words verschütten, vergießen, and kleckern all relate to spilling liquids, but they are used in completely different contexts. While verschütten is the standard everyday term for accidentally knocking over a drink, vergießen is mostly used in dramatic phrases for shedding tears or blood, and kleckern describes making a small, drippy mess while eating or pouring.
Verschütten
The word verschütten is the most common translation for accidentally spilling a liquid or a granular substance, such as sugar or sand. It is used when a container is knocked over or when the contents are accidentally dropped, usually involving a significant amount of the substance.
Ich habe meinen Kaffee auf den Teppich verschüttet.
(I spilled my coffee on the carpet.)
Pass auf, dass du das Wasser nicht verschüttest.
(Be careful not to spill the water.)
Das Kind hat den ganzen Saft verschüttet.
(The child spilled the whole juice.)
Er stolperte und verschüttete sein Bier auf dem Boden.
(He tripped and spilled his beer on the floor.)
Sie hat versehentlich Salz auf den Tisch verschüttet.
(She accidentally spilled salt on the table.)
Vergießen
The word vergießen also means to spill, but it is almost exclusively used in fixed, dramatic, or poetic expressions. It is the standard verb for shedding tears or spilling blood. Very rarely, it can describe spilling a liquid while trying to pour it from one container to another, though verschütten is much more common for everyday beverages.
Sie hat bei dem traurigen Film viele Tränen vergossen.
(She shed many tears during the sad movie.)
In diesem langen Krieg wurde viel Blut vergossen.
(A lot of blood was spilled in this long war.)
Es lohnt sich nicht, wegen dieses Fehlers Tränen zu vergießen.
(It is not worth shedding tears over this mistake.)
Der Soldat war bereit, sein Blut für das Land zu vergießen.
(The soldier was ready to spill his blood for the country.)
Beim Einschenken des Weins hat er aus Versehen ein wenig vergossen.
(While pouring the wine, he accidentally spilled a little.)
Kleckern
The word kleckern means to spill in small amounts, to drip, or to make a mess while eating or drinking. It focuses on the result of the spill, such as getting stains on clothing or leaving small puddles on a table, rather than knocking over a whole container.
Das Baby hat beim Essen mit dem Brei gekleckert.
(The baby made a mess with the porridge while eating.)
Ich habe mit der Tomatensoße auf mein weißes Hemd gekleckert.
(I dripped tomato sauce on my white shirt.)
Iss vorsichtig und versuche nicht zu kleckern.
(Eat carefully and try not to spill.)
Der nasse Pinsel hat Farbe auf den Boden gekleckert.
(The wet brush dripped paint on the floor.)
Du hast geschmolzenes Eis auf deine Hose gekleckert.
(You dripped melted ice cream on your pants.)
Summary
In short, use verschütten for knocking over a glass or losing a large amount of a drink. Choose vergießen for poetic or dramatic contexts, primarily when shedding tears or spilling blood. Finally, use kleckern when talking about messy eating, dripping sauce, or creating small stains.