KernevsKörnerWhat's the difference?

Which to use

“Kerne” and “Körner” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#21,313
“Kerne” frequency rank
#14,115
“Körner” frequency rank
35428
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Kerne Körner
Definition Variante für den Dativ Singular des Substantivs Kern Werkzeug für die Positionierung und Fixierung einer Bohrung

Where the spellings diverge

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

5 ch
Kerne
6 ch
Körner

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Kerne ([ˈkɛʁnə]) and Körner ([ˈkœʁnɐ]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 35428, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Kerne is recorded at frequency rank #21,313, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈkɛʁnə]. Körner is at rank #14,115, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈkœʁnɐ].

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 35428, this pair ranks #1,640,244 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Kerne vs Körner

Shared letters: eknr. Private to "Kerne": -. Private to "Körner": ö.

"Kerne" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV  ·  "Körner" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Kerneekrne · kenre · keren · kernne · kerrne · kkerne · krene

Frequency comparison

Kerne#21,313
Körner#14,115

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Kerne" and "Körner" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈkɛʁnə] versus [ˈkœʁnɐ]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Kerne" or "Körner"?
"Körner" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #14,115 in our German list, against #21,313 for "Kerne". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Kerne vs Körner

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “Kerne” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list