HoffnungvsHoffnungenWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#1,327
“Hoffnung” frequency rank
#6,935
“Hoffnungen” frequency rank
8262
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Hoffnung Hoffnungen
Definition Glaube beziehungsweise Erwartung eines erwünschten Ereignisses in der Zukunft, ohne dass Gewissheit darüber besteht, ob es auch wirklich eintreten wird Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Hoffnung

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Hoffnung and Hoffnungen apart are highlighted. They share 8 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
Hoffnung
10 ch
Hoffnungen

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Hoffnung ([ˈhɔfnʊŋ]) and Hoffnungen ([ˈhɔfnʊŋən]) 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 2 extra letter(s) - “Hoffnung” sits inside “Hoffnungen”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 8262, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Hoffnung is recorded at frequency rank #1,327, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈhɔfnʊŋ]. Hoffnungen is at rank #6,935, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈhɔfnʊŋən].

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 8262, this pair ranks #1,984,992 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Hoffnung vs Hoffnungen

Shared letters: fghnou. Private to "Hoffnung": -. Private to "Hoffnungen": e.

"Hoffnung" · 8 letters · shape CVCCCVCC  ·  "Hoffnungen" · 10 letters · shape CVCCCVCCVC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Hoffnunghfofnung · hhoffnung · hoffnnug · hoffnnung · hoffnugn · hoffnungg · hoffnunng · hoffunng
  • Hoffnungenhfofnungen · hhoffnungen · hoffnnugen · hoffnnungen · hoffnugnen · hoffnunegn · hoffnungenn · hoffnunggen

Frequency comparison

Hoffnung#1,327
Hoffnungen#6,935

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Hoffnung" and "Hoffnungen" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈhɔfnʊŋ] versus [ˈhɔfnʊŋən]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Hoffnung" or "Hoffnungen"?
"Hoffnung" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #1,327 in our German list, against #6,935 for "Hoffnungen". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Hoffnung vs Hoffnungen

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 “Hoffnung” 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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list