Which to use
“kin” is a num and “klink” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #39,466
- “kin” frequency rank
- #38,853
- “klink” frequency rank
- 78319
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | kin | klink |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | fünf (5) | 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs klinken |
Where the eye mixes kin and klink
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between kin and klink
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: kin is [kin] while klink is [klɪŋk]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (num vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 78319, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
kin is recorded at frequency rank #39,466, classified as anum, pronounced [kin]. klink is at rank #38,853, tagged as averb, pronounced [klɪŋk].
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 78319, this pair ranks #240,946 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of kin vs klink
Shared letters: ikn. Private to "kin": -. Private to "klink": l.
"kin" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "klink" · 5 letters · shape CCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
- klink ← kilnk · kklink · klikn · klinkk · klinnk · kllink · klnik · lkink
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "kin" for "klink" ever safe?
Which is more common, "kin" or "klink"?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "kin" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "klink" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #240,946 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "kin" and "klink" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "kin vs Koi". 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 #240,946 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.