Which to use
“kaut” and “kost” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #46,771
- “kaut” frequency rank
- #13,418
- “kost” frequency rank
- 60189
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | kaut | kost |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 3. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs kauen | 2. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs kosen |
Where the eye mixes kaut and kost
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence. kaut (CVVC) and kost (CVCC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Look-alike desk: kaut vs kost
A purely visual mix-up. kaut ([kaʊ̯t]) and kost ([koːst]) 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 60189, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
kaut is recorded at frequency rank #46,771, classified as averb, pronounced [kaʊ̯t]. kost is at rank #13,418, tagged as averb, pronounced [koːst].
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 60189, this pair ranks #796,259 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of kaut vs kost
Shared letters: kt. Private to "kaut": au. Private to "kost": os.
"kaut" · 4 letters · shape CVVC · "kost" · 4 letters · shape CVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "kaut" and "kost" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "kaut" or "kost"?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "kaut" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "kost" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #796,259 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "kaut" and "kost" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "kaut vs kräht". 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 #796,259 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.