Which to use
“könnten” and “kosten” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #571
- “könnten” frequency rank
- #570
- “kosten” frequency rank
- 1141
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | könnten | kosten |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 1. Person Plural Konjunktiv II Präteritum des Verbs können | [jemandem] etwas (zum Beispiel in Form von Geld) wert sein, einen Wert oder bestimmten Preis haben |
Where the eye mixes könnten and kosten
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. könnten ([ˈkœntn̩]) and kosten ([ˈkɔstn̩]) 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 1141, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
könnten is recorded at frequency rank #571, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈkœntn̩]. kosten is at rank #570, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈkɔstn̩].
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 1141, this pair ranks #2,004,833 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of könnten vs kosten
Shared letters: eknt. Private to "könnten": ö. Private to "kosten": os.
"könnten" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCVC · "kosten" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- kosten ← kkosten · kosetn · kossten · kostenn · kostne · kostten · kotsen · ksoten
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "könnten" and "kosten" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "könnten" or "kosten"?
What to do next
You've compared "könnten" and "kosten". Here's where to go from here.
- Full dictionary entry for "könnten" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "kosten" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #2,004,833 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "könnten" and "kosten" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "könnten vs konntet". 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
PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.