HefevsHoseWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#19,250
“Hefe” frequency rank
#2,968
“Hose” frequency rank
22218
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Hefe Hose
Definition einzelliger Pilz (zumeist Saccharomycetaceae aber auch Pichiaceae und Incertae sedis), der sich sexuell und/oder asexuell zumeist durch Sprossung, aber auch durch Spaltung (Schizosaccharomycetaceae), vermehrt Kleidungsstück, das den Körper unterhalb der Taille (bis zu den Füßen) bedeckt und dabei jedes Bein einzeln umschließt. Der Plural ist auch für den Singular gebräuchlich, da eine Hose aus zwei Schläuchen (Hosen) besteht (vergleiche die Herkunft).

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Hefe and Hose apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

4 ch
Hefe
4 ch
Hose

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Hefe ([ˈheːfə]) and Hose ([ˈhoːzə]) 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 22218, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Hefe is recorded at frequency rank #19,250, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈheːfə]. Hose is at rank #2,968, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈhoːzə].

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 22218, this pair ranks #1,876,874 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Hefe vs Hose

Shared letters: eh. Private to "Hefe": f. Private to "Hose": os.

"Hefe" · 4 letters · shape CVCV  ·  "Hose" · 4 letters · shape CVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Hefeehfe · heef · heffe · hfee · hhefe
  • Hosehhose · hoes · hosse · hsoe · ohse

Frequency comparison

Hefe#19,250
Hose#2,968

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Hefe" and "Hose" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈheːfə] versus [ˈhoːzə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Hefe" or "Hose"?
"Hose" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #2,968 in our German list, against #19,250 for "Hefe". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Hefe vs Hose

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 “Hefe” 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