HobbitvsHobbysWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#24,770
“Hobbit” frequency rank
#13,862
“Hobbys” frequency rank
38632
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Hobbit Hobbys
Definition kleine, humanoide, intelligente Kreatur, die bevorzugt in Erdhöhlen wohnt Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Hobby

Where the spellings diverge

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

6 ch
Hobbit
6 ch
Hobbys

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Hobbit ([ˈhɔbɪt]) and Hobbys ([ˈhɔbis]) 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 38632, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Hobbit is recorded at frequency rank #24,770, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈhɔbɪt]. Hobbys is at rank #13,862, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈhɔbis].

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 38632, this pair ranks #1,558,799 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Hobbit vs Hobbys

Shared letters: bho. Private to "Hobbit": it. Private to "Hobbys": sy.

"Hobbit" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC  ·  "Hobbys" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Hobbithbobit · hhobbit · hobbitt · hobbti · hobibt · hobit · ohbbit
  • Hobbyshbobys · hhobbys · hobbsy · hobbyss · hobbyys · hobybs · hobys · ohbbys

Frequency comparison

Hobbit#24,770
Hobbys#13,862

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Hobbit" and "Hobbys" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈhɔbɪt] versus [ˈhɔbis]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Hobbit" or "Hobbys"?
"Hobbys" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #13,862 in our German list, against #24,770 for "Hobbit". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Hobbit vs Hobbys

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 “Hobbit” 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