können vs konntet, What's the Difference?

Which to use

“können” and “konntet” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.

#82
“können” frequency rank: #46,080
“konntet” frequency rank: 46162
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature	können	konntet
Definition	etwas zu tun vermögen	2. Person Plural Indikativ Präteritum des Verbs können

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set können and konntet apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

6 ch

können

7 ch

konntet

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. können ([ˈkœnən]) and konntet ([ˈkɔntət]) 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 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 46162, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

können is recorded at frequency rank #82, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈkœnən]. konntet is at rank #46,080, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈkɔntət].

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 46162, this pair ranks #1,328,472 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of können vs konntet

Shared letters: ekn. Private to "können": ö. Private to "konntet": ot.

"können" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC · "konntet" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

konntet ← kkonntet · knontet · konnett · konntett · konnttet · kontet · kontnet · oknntet

Frequency comparison

können#82

konntet#46,080

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "können" and "konntet" be used interchangeably?

No. They are said differently ([ˈkœnən] versus [ˈkɔntət]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.

Which is more common, "können" or "konntet"?

"können" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #82 in our German list, against #46,080 for "konntet". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering können vs konntet

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “können” entry
Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable