Which to use
“kämmen” and “kümmern” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #41,301
- “kämmen” frequency rank
- #2,402
- “kümmern” frequency rank
- 43703
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | kämmen | kümmern |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | mithilfe eines Kammes die Haare richten | reflexiv, mit „um“: für jemanden sorgen |
Where the eye mixes kämmen and kümmern
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. kämmen runs 6 letters (CVCCVC) against kümmern's 7 (CVCCVCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses kämmen with kümmern
A purely visual mix-up. kämmen ([ˈkɛmən]) and kümmern ([ˈkʏmɐn]) 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 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 43703, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
kämmen is recorded at frequency rank #41,301, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈkɛmən]. kümmern is at rank #2,402, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈkʏmɐn].
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 43703, this pair ranks #1,409,599 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of kämmen vs kümmern
Shared letters: ekmn. Private to "kämmen": ä. Private to "kümmern": rü.
"kämmen" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC · "kümmern" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "kämmen" for "kümmern" ever safe?
Which is more common, "kämmen" or "kümmern"?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "kämmen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "kümmern" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,409,599 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "kämmen" and "kümmern" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Kamenz vs kämmen". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,409,599 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.