Which to use
“kos” and “koste” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #36,463
- “kos” frequency rank
- #22,800
- “koste” frequency rank
- 59263
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | kos | koste |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs kosen | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs kosen |
Where the eye mixes kos and koste
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses kos with koste
A purely visual mix-up. kos ([koːs]) and koste ([ˈkoːstə]) 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) - “kos” sits inside “koste”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 59263, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
kos is recorded at frequency rank #36,463, classified as averb, pronounced [koːs]. koste is at rank #22,800, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈkoːstə].
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 59263, this pair ranks #831,097 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of kos vs koste
Shared letters: kos. Private to "kos": -. Private to "koste": et.
"kos" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "koste" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV
Known mistypes of this pair
- koste ← kkoste · koset · kosste · kotse · ksote · okste
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "kos" for "koste" ever safe?
Which is more common, "kos" or "koste"?
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 "kos" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "koste" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #831,097 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "kos" and "koste" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "kola vs kos". 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 #831,097 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.