kitzelnvskotzenWhat's the difference?

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 spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set kitzeln and kotzen apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
kitzeln
6 ch
kotzen

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

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

  • kitzelniktzeln · kitezln · kittzeln · kitzelln · kitzelnn · kitzenl · kitzlen · kitzzeln
  • kotzenkkotzen · kotezn · kottzen · kotzenn · kotzne · kotzzen · kozten · ktozen

Frequency comparison

kitzeln#44,010
kotzen#6,820

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "kitzeln" and "kotzen" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈkɪt͡sl̩n] versus [ˈkɔt͡sn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "kitzeln" or "kotzen"?
"kotzen" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #6,820 in our German list, against #44,010 for "kitzeln". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering kitzeln vs kotzen

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 “kitzeln” 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