KlosvsKölnsConfusable pair

Which to use

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

#29,193
“Klos” frequency rank
#37,638
“Kölns” frequency rank
66831
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Klos Kölns
Definition Genitiv Singular des Substantivs Klo Genitiv Singular des Substantivs Köln

Where the eye mixes Klos and Kölns

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence. Klos runs 4 letters (CCVC) against Kölns's 5 (CVCCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.

4 ch
Klos
5 ch
Kölns

Look-alike desk: Klos vs Kölns

A purely visual mix-up. Klos ([kloːs]) and Kölns ([kœlns]) 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 66831, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Klos is recorded at frequency rank #29,193, classified as anoun, pronounced [kloːs]. Kölns is at rank #37,638, tagged as anoun, pronounced [kœlns].

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 66831, this pair ranks #560,038 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Klos vs Kölns

Shared letters: kls. Private to "Klos": o. Private to "Kölns": nö.

"Klos" · 4 letters · shape CCVC  ·  "Kölns" · 5 letters · shape CVCCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Klos ← kklos · kllos · kloss · klso · kols · lkos

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Klos" and "Kölns" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([kloːs] versus [kœlns]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Frequency check: "Klos" vs "Kölns" - which ranks higher?
"Klos" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #29,193 in our German list, against #37,638 for "Kölns". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Useful next steps

Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.

  • Full dictionary entry for "Klos" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "Kölns" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #560,038 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "Klos" and "Kölns" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Kölle vs Kölns". 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 #560,038 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list