Which to use
“kauen” is a verb and “kaum” is an adverb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #22,394
- “kauen” frequency rank
- #379
- “kaum” frequency rank
- 22773
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | kauen | kaum |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Nahrung mit den Zähnen, durch wiederholtes Öffnen und Schließen der Kiefer, zerkleinern | nur zu einem sehr geringen Grad; so gut wie gar nicht |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set kauen and kaum apart are highlighted. They share 3 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: kauen is [ˈkaʊ̯ən] while kaum is [kaʊ̯m]. 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 adverb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 22773, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
kauen is recorded at frequency rank #22,394, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈkaʊ̯ən]. 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 22773, this pair ranks #1,869,933 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of kauen vs kaum
Shared letters: aku. Private to "kauen": en. Private to "kaum": m.
"kauen" · 5 letters · shape CVVVC · "kaum" · 4 letters · shape CVVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "kauen" and "kaum" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "kauen" or "kaum"?
Remembering kauen vs kaum
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “kauen”; for an adverb, it's “kaum”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “kauen” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable