kostvskotzWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#13,418
“kost” frequency rank
#34,220
“kotz” frequency rank
47638
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature kost kotz
Definition 2. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs kosen 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs kotzen

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set kost and kotz apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

4 ch
kost
4 ch
kotz

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. kost ([koːst]) and kotz ([kɔt͡s]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 47638, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

kost is recorded at frequency rank #13,418, classified as averb, pronounced [koːst]. kotz is at rank #34,220, tagged as averb, pronounced [kɔt͡s].

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 47638, this pair ranks #1,277,280 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of kost vs kotz

Shared letters: kot. Private to "kost": s. Private to "kotz": z.

"kost" · 4 letters · shape CVCC  ·  "kotz" · 4 letters · shape CVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • kostkkost · kosst · kostt · kots · ksot · okst
  • kotzkkotz · kotzz · kozt · ktoz · oktz

Frequency comparison

kost#13,418
kotz#34,220

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "kost" and "kotz" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([koːst] versus [kɔt͡s]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "kost" or "kotz"?
"kost" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #13,418 in our German list, against #34,220 for "kotz". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering kost vs kotz

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 “kost” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list