Which to use
“können” and “kontern” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #82
- “können” frequency rank
- #29,197
- “kontern” frequency rank
- 29279
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | können | kontern |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | etwas zu tun vermögen | eine Rede oder Maßnahme mit Gegenrede oder -maßnahmen beantworten |
Where the eye mixes können and kontern
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence. können runs 6 letters (CVCCVC) against kontern's 7 (CVCCVCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses können with kontern
A purely visual mix-up. können ([ˈkœnən]) and kontern ([ˈkɔntɐn]) 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 29279, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
können is recorded at frequency rank #82, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈkœnən]. kontern is at rank #29,197, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈkɔntɐn].
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 29279, this pair ranks #1,769,818 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of können vs kontern
Shared letters: ekn. Private to "können": ö. Private to "kontern": ort.
"können" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC · "kontern" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
- kontern ← kkontern · knotern · konetrn · konntern · kontenr · konternn · konterrn · kontren
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "können" and "kontern" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "können" vs "kontern" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "können" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "kontern" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,769,818 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "können" and "kontern" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "kontern vs Kontur". 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 #1,769,818 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.