Which to use
“kenn” is a verb and “kun” is a preposition - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #3,750
- “kenn” frequency rank
- #35,882
- “kun” frequency rank
- 39632
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | kenn | kun |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs kennen | mit |
Where the eye mixes kenn and kun
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between kenn and kun
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: kenn is [kɛn] 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 (verb vs preposition), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 39632, 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]. 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 39632, this pair ranks #1,531,318 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of kenn vs kun
Shared letters: kn. Private to "kenn": e. Private to "kun": u.
"kenn" · 4 letters · shape CVCC · "kun" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- kenn ← eknn · kkenn · knen
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "kenn" and "kun" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary German text, does "kenn" or "kun" show up more?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "kenn" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "kun" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,531,318 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "kenn" and "kun" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Koi vs kun". 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 #1,531,318 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.