Which to use
“können” is a verb and “Könnens” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #82
- “können” frequency rank
- #30,657
- “Könnens” frequency rank
- 30739
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | können | Könnens |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | etwas zu tun vermögen | Genitiv Singular des Substantivs Können |
Where the eye mixes können and Könnens
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 6 letters in sequence. können runs 6 letters (CVCCVC) against Könnens's 7 (CVCCVCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Look-alike desk: können vs Könnens
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: können is [ˈkœnən] while Könnens is [ˈkœnəns]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “können” sits inside “Könnens”, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 30739, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
können is recorded at frequency rank #82, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈkœnən]. Könnens is at rank #30,657, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈkœnəns].
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 30739, this pair ranks #1,742,015 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of können vs Könnens
Shared letters: eknö. Private to "können": -. Private to "Könnens": s.
"können" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC · "Könnens" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "können" for "Könnens" ever safe?
Which is more common, "können" or "Könnens"?
After this comparison
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "können" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Könnens" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,742,015 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "können" and "Könnens" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "können vs konntet". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,742,015 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.