Which to use
“kitzeln” and “kotzen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #44,010
- “kitzeln” frequency rank
- #6,820
- “kotzen” frequency rank
- 50830
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | kitzeln | kotzen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | jemanden an empfindlichen Körperstellen derart berühren, dass er zu lachen beginnt | den Mageninhalt über den Mund entleeren |
Where the eye mixes kitzeln and kotzen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 5 letters in sequence. kitzeln runs 7 letters (CVCCVCC) against kotzen's 6 (CVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses kitzeln with kotzen
A purely visual mix-up. kitzeln ([ˈkɪt͡sl̩n]) and kotzen ([ˈkɔt͡sn̩]) 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 50830, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
kitzeln is recorded at frequency rank #44,010, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈkɪt͡sl̩n]. kotzen is at rank #6,820, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈkɔt͡sn̩].
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 50830, this pair ranks #1,158,786 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of kitzeln vs kotzen
Shared letters: ekntz. Private to "kitzeln": il. Private to "kotzen": o.
"kitzeln" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCC · "kotzen" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "kitzeln" and "kotzen" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "kitzeln" or "kotzen"?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "kitzeln" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "kotzen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,158,786 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "kitzeln" and "kotzen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "kitten vs kitzeln". 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 #1,158,786 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.