Which to use
“kau” is a verb and “Kran” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #41,934
- “kau” frequency rank
- #18,605
- “Kran” frequency rank
- 60539
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | kau | Kran |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs kauen | manuell oder motorisch betriebene, mit einem (beweglichen) Ausleger versehene Vorrichtung, mithilfe derer Lasten oder sperrige Gegenstände gehoben und/oder versetzt werden |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set kau and Kran apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: kau is [kaʊ̯] while Kran is [kʁaːn]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 60539, 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]. Kran is at rank #18,605, tagged as anoun, pronounced [kʁaːn].
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 60539, this pair ranks #783,230 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of kau vs Kran
Shared letters: ak. Private to "kau": u. Private to "Kran": nr.
"kau" · 3 letters · shape CVV · "Kran" · 4 letters · shape CCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- Kran ← karn · kkran · krann · krna · krran · rkan
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "kau" and "Kran" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "kau" or "Kran"?
Remembering kau vs Kran
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “kau”; for a noun, it's “Kran”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “kau” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable