Which to use
“kein” is a pronoun and “kun” is a preposition - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #119
- “kein” frequency rank
- #35,882
- “kun” frequency rank
- 36001
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | kein | kun |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | null, nichts, Null | mit |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set kein and kun 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: kein is [kaɪ̯n] while kun is [kun]. 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 preposition), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 36001, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
kein is recorded at frequency rank #119, classified as apron, pronounced [kaɪ̯n]. kun is at rank #35,882, tagged as aprep, pronounced [kun].
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 36001, this pair ranks #1,626,424 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of kein vs kun
Shared letters: kn. Private to "kein": ei. Private to "kun": u.
"kein" · 4 letters · shape CVVC · "kun" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- kein ← ekin · keinn · keni · kien · kkein
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "kein" and "kun" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "kein" or "kun"?
Remembering kein vs kun
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a pronoun, it's “kein”; for a preposition, it's “kun”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “kein” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable