diff --git a/klausur-service/backend/grid_editor_api.py b/klausur-service/backend/grid_editor_api.py
index b2dc95c..6facc19 100644
--- a/klausur-service/backend/grid_editor_api.py
+++ b/klausur-service/backend/grid_editor_api.py
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ def _cluster_columns_by_alignment(
     # text (random inter-word gaps) while still detecting real columns in
     # vocabulary worksheets (which typically have >80% row coverage).
     MIN_COVERAGE_PRIMARY = 0.35
-    MIN_COVERAGE_SECONDARY = 0.20
+    MIN_COVERAGE_SECONDARY = 0.12
     MIN_WORDS_SECONDARY = 4
     MIN_DISTINCT_ROWS = 3
 
@@ -1956,10 +1956,14 @@ async def _build_grid_core(session_id: str, session: dict) -> dict:
                 removed_pipes, z.get("zone_index", 0),
             )
 
-    # Also strip leading/trailing pipe chars from cell text that may remain
-    # from word_boxes that contained mixed text like "word|" or "|word".
+    # Also strip pipe chars from word_box text and cell text that may remain
+    # from OCR reading syllable-separation marks (e.g. "zu|trau|en" → "zutrauen").
     for z in zones_data:
         for cell in z.get("cells", []):
+            for wb in cell.get("word_boxes", []):
+                wbt = wb.get("text", "")
+                if "|" in wbt:
+                    wb["text"] = wbt.replace("|", "")
             text = cell.get("text", "")
             if "|" in text:
                 cleaned = text.replace("|", "").strip()