Höfe vs Höhe, What's the Difference?

Which to use

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

#16,734
“Höfe” frequency rank: #717
“Höhe” frequency rank: 17451
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature	Höfe	Höhe
Definition	Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Hof	die Dimension (Größe) nach oben

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Höfe and Höhe apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

4 ch

Höfe

4 ch

Höhe

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Höfe ([ˈhøːfə]) 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 a single letter - f in “Höfe” becomes h in “Höhe”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 17451, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Höfe is recorded at frequency rank #16,734, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈhøːfə]. 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 17451, this pair ranks #1,927,283 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Höfe vs Höhe

Shared letters: ehö. Private to "Höfe": f. Private to "Höhe": -.

"Höfe" · 4 letters · shape CVCV · "Höhe" · 4 letters · shape CVCV

Frequency comparison

Höfe#16,734

Höhe#717

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Höfe" and "Höhe" be used interchangeably?

No. They are said differently ([ˈhøːfə] versus [ˈhøːə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.

Which is more common, "Höfe" or "Höhe"?

"Höhe" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #717 in our German list, against #16,734 for "Höfe". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering Höfe vs Höhe

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 “Höfe” entry
Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable