Which to use
“Hamster” and “Häusler” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #21,638
- “Hamster” frequency rank
- #43,980
- “Häusler” frequency rank
- 65618
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Hamster | Häusler |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | maus- (Zwerghamster) bis fast kaninchengroßes (Feldhamster), dämmerungsaktives Nagetier, mit dichtem Fell und kurzem bis stummelartigem Schwanz (Familie Cricetidae) | Landbewohner, Eigentümer eines kleinen Hauses mit sehr geringem oder ganz ohne Landbesitz |
Where the eye mixes Hamster and Häusler
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 4 letters in sequence. Hamster (CVCCCVC) and Häusler (CVVCCVC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Why the eye confuses Hamster with Häusler
A purely visual mix-up. Hamster ([ˈhamstɐ]) and Häusler ([ˈhɔɪ̯slɐ]) 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 3 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 65618, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Hamster is recorded at frequency rank #21,638, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈhamstɐ]. Häusler is at rank #43,980, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈhɔɪ̯slɐ].
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 65618, this pair ranks #600,678 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of Hamster vs Häusler
Shared letters: ehrs. Private to "Hamster": amt. Private to "Häusler": luä.
"Hamster" · 7 letters · shape CVCCCVC · "Häusler" · 7 letters · shape CVVCCVC
Known mistypes of this pair
- Hamster ← ahmster · hammster · hamsetr · hamsster · hamsterr · hamstre · hamstter · hamtser
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "Hamster" and "Häusler" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "Hamster" or "Häusler"?
After this comparison
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "Hamster" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Häusler" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #600,678 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Hamster" and "Häusler" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Hasser vs Häusler". 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 #600,678 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.