kämevsKäseWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: käme is a verb, Käse is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“käme” is a verb and “Käse” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#4,629
“käme” frequency rank
#3,754
“Käse” frequency rank
8383
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature käme Käse
Definition 1. Person Singular Konjunktiv II Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs kommen ein festes Milchprodukt

Where the spellings diverge

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

4 ch
käme
4 ch
Käse

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: käme is [ˈkɛːmə] while Käse is [ˈkɛːzə]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by a single letter - m in “käme” becomes s in “Käse”, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 8383, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

käme is recorded at frequency rank #4,629, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈkɛːmə]. Käse is at rank #3,754, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈkɛːzə].

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 8383, this pair ranks #1,984,514 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of käme vs Käse

Shared letters: ekä. Private to "käme": m. Private to "Käse": s.

"käme" · 4 letters · shape CVCV  ·  "Käse" · 4 letters · shape CVCV

Frequency comparison

käme#4,629
Käse#3,754

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "käme" and "Käse" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "käme" is a verb and "Käse" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "käme" or "Käse"?
"Käse" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #3,754 in our German list, against #4,629 for "käme". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering käme vs Käse

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “käme”; for a noun, it's “Käse”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “käme” 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