Which to use
“kaufen” is a verb and “Käufern” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #635
- “kaufen” frequency rank
- #36,468
- “Käufern” frequency rank
- 37103
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | kaufen | Käufern |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Ware gegen Entgelt erwerben | Dativ Plural des Substantivs Käufer |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set kaufen and Käufern apart are highlighted. They share 5 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: kaufen is [ˈkaʊ̯fn̩] while Käufern is [ˈkɔɪ̯fɐn]. 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 37103, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
kaufen is recorded at frequency rank #635, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈkaʊ̯fn̩]. Käufern is at rank #36,468, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈkɔɪ̯fɐn].
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 37103, this pair ranks #1,598,746 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of kaufen vs Käufern
Shared letters: efknu. Private to "kaufen": a. Private to "Käufern": rä.
"kaufen" · 6 letters · shape CVVCVC · "Käufern" · 7 letters · shape CVVCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
- kaufen ← akufen · kafuen · kauefn · kaufenn · kauffen · kaufne · kkaufen · kuafen
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "kaufen" and "Käufern" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "kaufen" or "Käufern"?
Remembering kaufen vs Käufern
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “kaufen”; for a noun, it's “Käufern”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “kaufen” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable