Which to use
“Hoffmann” and “Hofmann” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #5,088
- “Hoffmann” frequency rank
- #8,221
- “Hofmann” frequency rank
- 13309
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Hoffmann | Hofmann |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | deutschsprachiger Familienname, Nachname | deutschsprachiger Familienname, Nachname |
Where the eye mixes Hoffmann and Hofmann
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 7 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between Hoffmann and Hofmann
A purely visual mix-up. Hoffmann ([ˈhɔfˌman]) and Hofmann ([ˈhoːfˌman]) 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 13309, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Hoffmann is recorded at frequency rank #5,088, classified as aname, pronounced [ˈhɔfˌman]. Hofmann is at rank #8,221, tagged as aname, pronounced [ˈhoːfˌman].
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 13309, this pair ranks #1,958,804 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Hoffmann vs Hofmann
Shared letters: afhmno. Private to "Hoffmann": -. Private to "Hofmann": -.
"Hoffmann" · 8 letters · shape CVCCCVCC · "Hofmann" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "Hoffmann" for "Hofmann" ever safe?
Frequency check: "Hoffmann" vs "Hofmann" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
Eye-level mix-up between "Hoffmann" and "Hofmann" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "Hoffmann" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "Hofmann" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,958,804 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Hoffmann" and "Hofmann" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Hoffmanns vs Hofmann". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #1,958,804 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.