HakenkreuzvsHakenkreuzeWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#22,368
“Hakenkreuz” frequency rank
#45,331
“Hakenkreuze” frequency rank
67699
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Hakenkreuz Hakenkreuze
Definition ein ursprünglich religiöses Symbol (Sonnenrad, Rad des Lebens und anderes), ein Kreuzsymbol mit gebogenen Armen Variante für den Dativ Singular des Substantivs Hakenkreuz

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Hakenkreuz and Hakenkreuze apart are highlighted. They share 10 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

10 ch
Hakenkreuz
11 ch
Hakenkreuze

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Hakenkreuz ([ˈhaːkn̩ˌkʁɔɪ̯t͡s]) and Hakenkreuze ([ˈhaːkn̩ˌkʁɔɪ̯t͡sə]) 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 extra letter(s) - “Hakenkreuz” sits inside “Hakenkreuze”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 67699, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Hakenkreuz is recorded at frequency rank #22,368, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈhaːkn̩ˌkʁɔɪ̯t͡s]. Hakenkreuze is at rank #45,331, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈhaːkn̩ˌkʁɔɪ̯t͡sə].

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 67699, this pair ranks #531,590 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Hakenkreuz vs Hakenkreuze

Shared letters: aehknruz. Private to "Hakenkreuz": -. Private to "Hakenkreuze": -.

"Hakenkreuz" · 10 letters · shape CVCVCCCVVC  ·  "Hakenkreuze" · 11 letters · shape CVCVCCCVVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Hakenkreuzahkenkreuz · haeknkreuz · hakeknreuz · hakenkeruz · hakenkkreuz · hakenkreuzz · hakenkrezu · hakenkrreuz
  • Hakenkreuzeahkenkreuze · haeknkreuze · hakeknreuze · hakenkeruze · hakenkkreuze · hakenkreuez · hakenkreuzze · hakenkrezue

Frequency comparison

Hakenkreuz#22,368
Hakenkreuze#45,331

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Hakenkreuz" and "Hakenkreuze" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈhaːkn̩ˌkʁɔɪ̯t͡s] versus [ˈhaːkn̩ˌkʁɔɪ̯t͡sə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Hakenkreuz" or "Hakenkreuze"?
"Hakenkreuz" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #22,368 in our German list, against #45,331 for "Hakenkreuze". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Hakenkreuz vs Hakenkreuze

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 “Hakenkreuz” 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