Which to use
“keys” and “Kuss” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #18,945
- “keys” frequency rank
- #5,861
- “Kuss” frequency rank
- 24806
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | keys | Kuss |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Plural des Substantivs key | die Berührung der Lippen auf die Lippen oder beliebige andere Körperteile (einschließlich der Zunge und der Geschlechtsorgane) eines anderen Menschen oder einen, durch diese Geste geliebten oder verehrten Gegenstand |
Where the eye mixes keys and Kuss
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses keys with Kuss
A purely visual mix-up. keys ([kiːz]) and Kuss ([kʊs]) 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 24806, 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]. Kuss is at rank #5,861, tagged as anoun, pronounced [kʊs].
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 24806, this pair ranks #1,842,460 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of keys vs Kuss
Shared letters: ks. Private to "keys": ey. Private to "Kuss": u.
"keys" · 4 letters · shape CVVC · "Kuss" · 4 letters · shape CVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "keys" for "Kuss" ever safe?
In ordinary German text, does "keys" or "Kuss" show up more?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "keys" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Kuss" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,842,460 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "keys" and "Kuss" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "kaya vs keys". 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 #1,842,460 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.