Which to use
“Koi” is a noun and “kom” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #46,782
- “Koi” frequency rank
- #26,482
- “kom” frequency rank
- 73264
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Koi | kom |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | japanische Zuchtform des Karpfens | Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs komme |
Where the eye mixes Koi and kom
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses Koi with kom
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: Koi is [kɔɪ̯] while kom is [ˈɡ̊ʰʌmˀ]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by a single letter - i in “Koi” becomes m in “kom”, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 73264, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Koi is recorded at frequency rank #46,782, classified as anoun, pronounced [kɔɪ̯]. kom is at rank #26,482, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈɡ̊ʰʌmˀ].
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 73264, this pair ranks #365,136 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of Koi vs kom
Shared letters: ko. Private to "Koi": i. Private to "kom": m.
"Koi" · 3 letters · shape CVV · "kom" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "Koi" for "kom" ever safe?
Which is more common, "Koi" or "kom"?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "Koi" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "kom" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #365,136 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Koi" and "kom" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Koi vs kola". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #365,136 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.