Which to use
“Keulen” and “Kohlen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #45,383
- “Keulen” frequency rank
- #25,626
- “Kohlen” frequency rank
- 71009
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Keulen | Kohlen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Keule | Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Kohle |
Where the eye mixes Keulen and Kohlen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence. Keulen (CVVCVC) and Kohlen (CVCCVC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Why the eye confuses Keulen with Kohlen
A purely visual mix-up. Keulen ([ˈkɔɪ̯lən]) and Kohlen ([ˈkoːlən]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 71009, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Keulen is recorded at frequency rank #45,383, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈkɔɪ̯lən]. Kohlen is at rank #25,626, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈkoːlən].
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 71009, this pair ranks #429,315 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of Keulen vs Kohlen
Shared letters: ekln. Private to "Keulen": u. Private to "Kohlen": ho.
"Keulen" · 6 letters · shape CVVCVC · "Kohlen" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "Keulen" for "Kohlen" ever safe?
Which is more common, "Keulen" or "Kohlen"?
After this comparison
Eye-level mix-up between "Keulen" and "Kohlen" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "Keulen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Kohlen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #429,315 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Keulen" and "Kohlen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Kehlen vs Keulen". 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 #429,315 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.