KoivskotzWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: Koi is a noun, kotz is a verb, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“Koi” is a noun and “kotz” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#46,782
“Koi” frequency rank
#34,220
“kotz” frequency rank
81002
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Koi kotz
Definition japanische Zuchtform des Karpfens 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs kotzen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Koi and kotz apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

3 ch
Koi
4 ch
kotz

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: Koi is [kɔɪ̯] while kotz is [kɔt͡s]. 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 81002, 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]. kotz is at rank #34,220, tagged as averb, pronounced [kɔt͡s].

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 81002, this pair ranks #184,284 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of Koi vs kotz

Shared letters: ko. Private to "Koi": i. Private to "kotz": tz.

"Koi" · 3 letters · shape CVV  ·  "kotz" · 4 letters · shape CVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • kotzkkotz · kotzz · kozt · ktoz · oktz

Frequency comparison

Koi#46,782
kotz#34,220

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Koi" and "kotz" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "Koi" is a noun and "kotz" a verb, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "Koi" or "kotz"?
"kotz" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #34,220 in our German list, against #46,782 for "Koi". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Koi vs kotz

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 “kotz”.
  • 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

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list