HirsevsHirtenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#43,965
“Hirse” frequency rank
#17,611
“Hirten” frequency rank
61576
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Hirse Hirten
Definition Sammelbezeichnung für einige kleinfrüchtige Getreidearten aus der Familie der Süßgräser Genitiv Singular des Substantivs Hirte

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Hirse and Hirten apart are highlighted. They share 4 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
Hirse
6 ch
Hirten

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Hirse ([ˈhɪʁzə]) and Hirten ([ˈhɪʁtn̩]) 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 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 61576, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Hirse is recorded at frequency rank #43,965, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈhɪʁzə]. Hirten is at rank #17,611, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈhɪʁtn̩].

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 61576, this pair ranks #744,600 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Hirse vs Hirten

Shared letters: ehir. Private to "Hirse": s. Private to "Hirten": nt.

"Hirse" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV  ·  "Hirten" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Hirsehhirse · hirrse · hirsse · hisre · hrise
  • Hirtenhhirten · hiretn · hirrten · hirtenn · hirtne · hirtten · hitren · hriten

Frequency comparison

Hirse#43,965
Hirten#17,611

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Hirse" and "Hirten" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈhɪʁzə] versus [ˈhɪʁtn̩]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Hirse" or "Hirten"?
"Hirten" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #17,611 in our German list, against #43,965 for "Hirse". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Hirse vs Hirten

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 “Hirse” 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