KilovsKilosWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#4,714
“Kilo” frequency rank
#43,284
“Kilos” frequency rank
47998
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Kilo Kilos
Definition Kilogramm Genitiv Singular des Substantivs Kilo

Where the spellings diverge

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

4 ch
Kilo
5 ch
Kilos

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Kilo ([ˈkiːlo]) and Kilos ([ˈkiːlos]) 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 extra letter(s) - “Kilo” sits inside “Kilos”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 47998, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Kilo is recorded at frequency rank #4,714, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈkiːlo]. Kilos is at rank #43,284, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈkiːlos].

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 47998, this pair ranks #1,264,480 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Kilo vs Kilos

Shared letters: iklo. Private to "Kilo": -. Private to "Kilos": s.

"Kilo" · 4 letters · shape CVCV  ·  "Kilos" · 5 letters · shape CVCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Kiloiklo · killo · kiol · kkilo · klio
  • Kilosiklos · killos · kiloss · kilso · kiols · kkilos · klios

Frequency comparison

Kilo#4,714
Kilos#43,284

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Kilo" and "Kilos" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈkiːlo] versus [ˈkiːlos]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Kilo" or "Kilos"?
"Kilo" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #4,714 in our German list, against #43,284 for "Kilos". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Kilo vs Kilos

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 “Kilo” 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