Which to use
“hässlich” and “hässlicher” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #6,806
- “hässlich” frequency rank
- #28,253
- “hässlicher” frequency rank
- 35059
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | hässlich | hässlicher |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | unschön aussehend, nicht den vorherrschenden Normen über gutes Aussehen entsprechend | Nominativ Singular Maskulinum der starken Deklination des Positivs des Adjektivs hässlich |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set hässlich and hässlicher apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. hässlich ([ˈhɛslɪç]) and hässlicher ([ˈhɛslɪçɐ]) 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 2 extra letter(s) - “hässlich” sits inside “hässlicher”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 35059, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
hässlich is recorded at frequency rank #6,806, classified as anadj, pronounced [ˈhɛslɪç]. hässlicher is at rank #28,253, tagged as anadj, pronounced [ˈhɛslɪçɐ].
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 35059, this pair ranks #1,649,037 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of hässlich vs hässlicher
Shared letters: chilsä. Private to "hässlich": -. Private to "hässlicher": er.
"hässlich" · 8 letters · shape CVCCCVCC · "hässlicher" · 10 letters · shape CVCCCVCCVC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "hässlich" and "hässlicher" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "hässlich" or "hässlicher"?
Remembering hässlich vs hässlicher
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 “hässlich” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable