Which to use
“Koi” is a noun and “kost” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #46,782
- “Koi” frequency rank
- #13,418
- “kost” frequency rank
- 60200
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Koi | kost |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | japanische Zuchtform des Karpfens | 2. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs kosen |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Koi and kost apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: Koi is [kɔɪ̯] while kost is [koːst]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 60200, 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]. kost is at rank #13,418, tagged as averb, pronounced [koːst].
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 60200, this pair ranks #795,871 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of Koi vs kost
Shared letters: ko. Private to "Koi": i. Private to "kost": st.
"Koi" · 3 letters · shape CVV · "kost" · 4 letters · shape CVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
- kost ← kkost · kosst · kostt · kots · ksot · okst
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "Koi" and "kost" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "Koi" or "kost"?
Remembering Koi vs kost
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “Koi”; for a verb, it's “kost”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “Koi” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable