kennvsKernenWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: kenn is a verb, Kernen is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“kenn” is a verb and “Kernen” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#3,750
“kenn” frequency rank
#32,117
“Kernen” frequency rank
35867
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature kenn Kernen
Definition 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs kennen Dativ Plural des Substantivs Kern

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set kenn and Kernen apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

4 ch
kenn
6 ch
Kernen

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: kenn is [kɛn] while Kernen is [ˈkɛʁnən]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 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 35867, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

kenn is recorded at frequency rank #3,750, classified as averb, pronounced [kɛn]. Kernen is at rank #32,117, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈkɛʁnən].

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 35867, this pair ranks #1,629,603 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of kenn vs Kernen

Shared letters: ekn. Private to "kenn": -. Private to "Kernen": r.

"kenn" · 4 letters · shape CVCC  ·  "Kernen" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • kenneknn · kkenn · knen
  • Kernenekrnen · kenren · kerenn · kernenn · kernnen · kerrnen · kkernen · krenen

Frequency comparison

kenn#3,750
Kernen#32,117

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "kenn" and "Kernen" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "kenn" is a verb and "Kernen" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "kenn" or "Kernen"?
"kenn" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #3,750 in our German list, against #32,117 for "Kernen". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering kenn vs Kernen

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “kenn”; for a noun, it's “Kernen”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “kenn” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list