Which to use
“klonen” and “können” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #40,034
- “klonen” frequency rank
- #82
- “können” frequency rank
- 40116
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | klonen | können |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | ungeschlechtlich fortpflanzen, zum Beispiel indem man Stecklinge oder Senker setzt | etwas zu tun vermögen |
Where the eye mixes klonen and können
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence. klonen (CCVCVC) and können (CVCCVC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Look-alike desk: klonen vs können
A purely visual mix-up. klonen ([ˈkloːnən]) and können ([ˈkœnən]) 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 40116, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
klonen is recorded at frequency rank #40,034, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈkloːnən]. können is at rank #82, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈkœnən].
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 40116, this pair ranks #1,517,627 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of klonen vs können
Shared letters: ekn. Private to "klonen": lo. Private to "können": ö.
"klonen" · 6 letters · shape CCVCVC · "können" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- klonen ← kklonen · kllonen · klnoen · kloenn · klonenn · klonne · klonnen · kolnen
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "klonen" for "können" ever safe?
In ordinary German text, does "klonen" or "können" show up more?
After this comparison
Eye-level mix-up between "klonen" and "können" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "klonen" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "können" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,517,627 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "klonen" and "können" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "klonen vs kloppen". 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 #1,517,627 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.