Which to use
“Kompetenz” and “Kompetenzen” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #5,194
- “Kompetenz” frequency rank
- #7,495
- “Kompetenzen” frequency rank
- 12689
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Kompetenz | Kompetenzen |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | persönliches Vermögen, Fähigkeit | Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Kompetenz |
Where the eye mixes Kompetenz and Kompetenzen
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 9 letters in sequence. Kompetenz runs 9 letters (CVCCVCVCC) against Kompetenzen's 11 (CVCCVCVCCVC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses Kompetenz with Kompetenzen
A purely visual mix-up. Kompetenz ([kɔmpəˈtɛnt͡s]) and Kompetenzen ([kɔmpəˈtɛnt͡sn̩]) 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 2 extra letter(s) - “Kompetenz” sits inside “Kompetenzen”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 12689, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Kompetenz is recorded at frequency rank #5,194, classified as anoun, pronounced [kɔmpəˈtɛnt͡s]. Kompetenzen is at rank #7,495, tagged as anoun, pronounced [kɔmpəˈtɛnt͡sn̩].
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 12689, this pair ranks #1,962,652 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Kompetenz vs Kompetenzen
Shared letters: ekmnoptz. Private to "Kompetenz": -. Private to "Kompetenzen": -.
"Kompetenz" · 9 letters · shape CVCCVCVCC · "Kompetenzen" · 11 letters · shape CVCCVCVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- Kompetenz ← kkompetenz · kmopetenz · komeptenz · kommpetenz · kompeetnz · kompetennz · kompetenzz · kompetezn
- Kompetenzen ← kkompetenzen · kmopetenzen · komeptenzen · kommpetenzen · kompeetnzen · kompetenezn · kompetennzen · kompetenzenn
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "Kompetenz" and "Kompetenzen" mean the same thing in a sentence?
Which is more common, "Kompetenz" or "Kompetenzen"?
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 "Kompetenz" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Kompetenzen" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,962,652 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Kompetenz" and "Kompetenzen" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "kompetenter vs Kompetenzen". 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 #1,962,652 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.