stinkenvsstockenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#22,520
“stinken” frequency rank
#23,326
“stocken” frequency rank
45846
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature stinken stocken
Definition (sehr) übel schlecht riechen, üblen Geruch verbreiten einen Fortgang, eine Bewegung anhalten

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set stinken and stocken apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
stinken
7 ch
stocken

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. stinken ([ˈʃtɪŋkn̩]) and stocken ([ˈʃtɔkn̩]) 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 45846, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

stinken is recorded at frequency rank #22,520, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈʃtɪŋkn̩]. stocken is at rank #23,326, tagged as averb, pronounced [ˈʃtɔkn̩].

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 45846, this pair ranks #1,339,256 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of stinken vs stocken

Shared letters: eknst. Private to "stinken": i. Private to "stocken": co.

"stinken" · 7 letters · shape CCVCCVC  ·  "stocken" · 7 letters · shape CCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • stinkensitnken · sstinken · stiknen · stinekn · stinkenn · stinkken · stinkne · stinnken
  • stockensotcken · sstocken · stcoken · stoccken · stocekn · stockenn · stockken · stockne

Frequency comparison

stinken#22,520
stocken#23,326

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "stinken" and "stocken" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈʃtɪŋkn̩] versus [ˈʃtɔkn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "stinken" or "stocken"?
"stinken" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #22,520 in our German list, against #23,326 for "stocken". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering stinken vs stocken

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 “stinken” 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