keysvsKrebsWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#18,945
“keys” frequency rank
#3,598
“Krebs” frequency rank
22543
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature keys Krebs
Definition Plural des Substantivs key ein Tier des Stamms Krebstiere (Crustacea), umgangssprachlich meist nur ein Tier der Klasse Höhere Krebse (Malacostraca)

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set keys and Krebs apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

4 ch
keys
5 ch
Krebs

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. keys ([kiːz]) and Krebs ([kʁeːps]) 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 22543, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

keys is recorded at frequency rank #18,945, classified as anoun, pronounced [kiːz]. Krebs is at rank #3,598, tagged as anoun, pronounced [kʁeːps].

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 22543, this pair ranks #1,872,888 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of keys vs Krebs

Shared letters: eks. Private to "keys": y. Private to "Krebs": br.

"keys" · 4 letters · shape CVVC  ·  "Krebs" · 5 letters · shape CCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • keysekys · kesy · keyss · keyys · kkeys · kyes
  • Krebskerbs · kkrebs · krbes · krebbs · krebss · kresb · krrebs · rkebs

Frequency comparison

keys#18,945
Krebs#3,598

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "keys" and "Krebs" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([kiːz] versus [kʁeːps]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "keys" or "Krebs"?
"Krebs" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #3,598 in our German list, against #18,945 for "keys". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering keys vs Krebs

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 “keys” 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