HofvsHöheWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#1,773
“Hof” frequency rank
#717
“Höhe” frequency rank
2490
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Hof Höhe
Definition umgrenzter Platz, Wirtschafts- und Verkehrsfläche auf einem Grundstück, in der Regel von Gebäuden umschlossen oder hinter, vor oder zwischen Gebäuden gelegen die Dimension (Größe) nach oben

Where the eye mixes Hof and Höhe

Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.

3 ch
Hof
4 ch
Höhe

Visual trap between Hof and Höhe

A purely visual mix-up. Hof ([hoːf]) and Höhe ([ˈhøːə]) 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 2490, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Hof is recorded at frequency rank #1,773, classified as anoun, pronounced [hoːf]. Höhe is at rank #717, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈhøːə].

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 2490, this pair ranks #2,002,234 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Hof vs Höhe

Shared letters: h. Private to "Hof": fo. Private to "Höhe": .

"Hof" · 3 letters · shape CVC  ·  "Höhe" · 4 letters · shape CVCV

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Hof" and "Höhe" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([hoːf] versus [ˈhøːə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Frequency check: "Hof" vs "Höhe" - which ranks higher?
"Höhe" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #717 in our German list, against #1,773 for "Hof". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

What to do next

Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.

  • Full dictionary entry for "Hof" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
  • Full dictionary entry for "Höhe" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
  • This pair ranks #2,002,234 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
  • "Hof" and "Höhe" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Hähne vs Höhe". Nearby pair

Confusion rank #2,002,234 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list