Which to use
“kein” is a pronoun and “Koi” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #119
- “kein” frequency rank
- #46,782
- “Koi” frequency rank
- 46901
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | kein | Koi |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | null, nichts, Null | japanische Zuchtform des Karpfens |
Where the eye mixes kein and Koi
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence. kein runs 4 letters (CVVC) against Koi's 3 (CVV) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses kein with Koi
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: kein is [kaɪ̯n] while Koi is [kɔɪ̯]. 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 (pronoun vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 46901, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
kein is recorded at frequency rank #119, classified as apron, pronounced [kaɪ̯n]. Koi is at rank #46,782, tagged as anoun, pronounced [kɔɪ̯].
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 46901, this pair ranks #1,303,091 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of kein vs Koi
Shared letters: ik. Private to "kein": en. Private to "Koi": o.
"kein" · 4 letters · shape CVVC · "Koi" · 3 letters · shape CVV
Known mistypes of this pair
- kein ← ekin · keinn · keni · kien · kkein
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "kein" and "Koi" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "kein" vs "Koi" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "kein" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Koi" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,303,091 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "kein" and "Koi" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Koi vs kola". 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 #1,303,091 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.