Which to use
“koste” and “kotz” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #22,800
- “koste” frequency rank
- #34,220
- “kotz” frequency rank
- 57020
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | koste | kotz |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präteritum Aktiv des Verbs kosen | 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs kotzen |
Where the eye mixes koste and kotz
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence. koste runs 5 letters (CVCCV) against kotz's 4 (CVCC) - the length gap alone is often enough to separate them once you know to check it.
Why the eye confuses koste with kotz
A purely visual mix-up. koste ([ˈkoːstə]) 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 differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 57020, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
koste is recorded at frequency rank #22,800, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈkoːstə]. 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 57020, this pair ranks #917,621 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of koste vs kotz
Shared letters: kot. Private to "koste": es. Private to "kotz": z.
"koste" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV · "kotz" · 4 letters · shape CVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "koste" and "kotz" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary German text, does "koste" or "kotz" show up more?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "koste" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "kotz" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #917,621 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "koste" and "kotz" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "kola vs kotz". 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 #917,621 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.