hobbyvsHobbysWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#4,358
“hobby” frequency rank
#13,862
“Hobbys” frequency rank
18220
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature hobby Hobbys
Definition eine Tätigkeit, der man sich nicht aus Notwendigkeit, sondern freiwillig und aus Interesse, Faszination oder sogar Leidenschaft unterzieht und Vergnügen, Spaß oder Lustgewinn mit sich bringt Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Hobby

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set hobby and Hobbys apart are highlighted. They share 5 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

5 ch
hobby
6 ch
Hobbys

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. hobby ([ˈhɒbi]) 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 differ by 1 extra letter(s) - “hobby” sits inside “Hobbys”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 18220, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

hobby is recorded at frequency rank #4,358, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈhɒbi]. 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 18220, this pair ranks #1,920,305 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of hobby vs Hobbys

Shared letters: bhoy. Private to "hobby": -. Private to "Hobbys": s.

"hobby" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV  ·  "Hobbys" · 6 letters · shape CVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • hobbyhboby · hhobby · hobbyy · hoby · hobyb · ohbby
  • Hobbyshbobys · hhobbys · hobbsy · hobbyss · hobbyys · hobybs · hobys · ohbbys

Frequency comparison

hobby#4,358
Hobbys#13,862

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "hobby" and "Hobbys" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈhɒbi] versus [ˈhɔbis]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "hobby" or "Hobbys"?
"hobby" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #4,358 in our German list, against #13,862 for "Hobbys". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering hobby 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 “hobby” 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