Which to use
“kann” is a verb and “kaum” is an adverb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #53
- “kann” frequency rank
- #379
- “kaum” frequency rank
- 432
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | kann | kaum |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs können | nur zu einem sehr geringen Grad; so gut wie gar nicht |
Where the eye mixes kann and kaum
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: kann is [kan] while kaum is [kaʊ̯m]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs adverb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 432, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
kann is recorded at frequency rank #53, classified as averb, pronounced [kan]. kaum is at rank #379, tagged as anadv, pronounced [kaʊ̯m].
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 432, this pair ranks #2,005,868 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of kann vs kaum
Shared letters: ak. Private to "kann": n. Private to "kaum": mu.
"kann" · 4 letters · shape CVCC · "kaum" · 4 letters · shape CVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "kann" and "kaum" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "kann" or "kaum"?
What to do next
You've compared "kann" and "kaum". Here's where to go from here.
- Full dictionary entry for "kann" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "kaum" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #2,005,868 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "kann" and "kaum" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "kaum 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
PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.