Which to use
“Kanal” and “Kanals” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #2,730
- “Kanal” frequency rank
- #20,970
- “Kanals” frequency rank
- 23700
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Kanal | Kanals |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | künstlich errichteter Wasserlauf oder Verkehrsweg | Genitiv Singular des Substantivs Kanal |
Where the eye mixes Kanal and Kanals
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. Kanal runs 5 letters (CVCVC) against Kanals's 6 (CVCVCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Visual trap between Kanal and Kanals
A purely visual mix-up. Kanal ([kaˈnaːl]) and Kanals ([kaˈnaːls]) 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 extra letter(s) - “Kanal” sits inside “Kanals”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 23700, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Kanal is recorded at frequency rank #2,730, classified as anoun, pronounced [kaˈnaːl]. Kanals is at rank #20,970, tagged as anoun, pronounced [kaˈnaːls].
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 23700, this pair ranks #1,857,794 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Kanal vs Kanals
Shared letters: akln. Private to "Kanal": -. Private to "Kanals": s.
"Kanal" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC · "Kanals" · 6 letters · shape CVCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "Kanal" and "Kanals" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "Kanal" vs "Kanals" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "Kanal" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Kanals" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,857,794 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Kanal" and "Kanals" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Kanals vs Knaus". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #1,857,794 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.