Which to use
“kau” and “kos” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #41,934
- “kau” frequency rank
- #36,463
- “kos” frequency rank
- 78397
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | kau | kos |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs kauen | 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs kosen |
Where the eye mixes kau and kos
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence. kau (CVV) and kos (CVC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Visual trap between kau and kos
A purely visual mix-up. kau ([kaʊ̯]) and kos ([koːs]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 78397, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
kau is recorded at frequency rank #41,934, classified as averb, pronounced [kaʊ̯]. kos is at rank #36,463, tagged as averb, pronounced [koːs].
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 78397, this pair ranks #239,200 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of kau vs kos
Shared letters: k. Private to "kau": au. Private to "kos": os.
"kau" · 3 letters · shape CVV · "kos" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "kau" and "kos" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "kau" vs "kos" - which ranks higher?
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 "kau" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "kos" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #239,200 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "kau" and "kos" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "kau vs KGaA". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #239,200 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.