Which to use
“kannst” and “könnt” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #269
- “kannst” frequency rank
- #1,233
- “könnt” frequency rank
- 1502
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | kannst | könnt |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 2. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs können | 2. Person Plural Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs können |
Where the eye mixes kannst and könnt
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence. kannst runs 6 letters (CVCCCC) against könnt's 5 (CVCCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses kannst with könnt
A purely visual mix-up. kannst ([kanst]) and könnt ([kœnt]) 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 1502, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
kannst is recorded at frequency rank #269, classified as averb, pronounced [kanst]. könnt is at rank #1,233, tagged as averb, pronounced [kœnt].
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 1502, this pair ranks #2,004,225 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of kannst vs könnt
Shared letters: knt. Private to "kannst": as. Private to "könnt": ö.
"kannst" · 6 letters · shape CVCCCC · "könnt" · 5 letters · shape CVCCC
Known mistypes of this pair
- kannst ← aknnst · kannsst · kannstt · kannts · kansnt · kanst · kkannst · knanst
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "kannst" for "könnt" ever safe?
Which is more common, "kannst" or "könnt"?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "kannst" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "könnt" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #2,004,225 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "kannst" and "könnt" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "könnt vs krönt". 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 #2,004,225 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.