Which to use
“kostenlos” and “kostenlose” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #1,517
- “kostenlos” frequency rank
- #4,628
- “kostenlose” frequency rank
- 6145
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | kostenlos | kostenlose |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | nicht mit Kosten verbunden | Nominativ Singular Femininum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs kostenlos |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set kostenlos and kostenlose apart are highlighted. They share 9 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
kostenlos and kostenlose form a confusable pair in the German index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “kostenlos” sits inside “kostenlose” - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 6145, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
kostenlos is recorded at frequency rank #1,517, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈkɔstn̩loːs]. kostenlose is at rank #4,628, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈkɔstn̩loːzə].
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 6145, this pair ranks #1,992,564 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "kostenlos" and "kostenlose" be used interchangeably?
Remembering kostenlos vs kostenlose
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 “kostenlos” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable