Which to use
“hör” is a verb and “hot” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #2,601
- “hör” frequency rank
- #5,185
- “hot” frequency rank
- 7786
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | hör | hot |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs hören | von sehr hoher Temperatur, heiß |
Where the eye mixes hör and hot
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Why the eye confuses hör with hot
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: hör is [høːɐ̯] while hot is [hɒt]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 7786, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
hör is recorded at frequency rank #2,601, classified as averb, pronounced [høːɐ̯]. hot is at rank #5,185, tagged as anadj, pronounced [hɒt].
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 7786, this pair ranks #1,986,903 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of hör vs hot
Shared letters: h. Private to "hör": rö. Private to "hot": ot.
"hör" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "hot" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "hör" for "hot" ever safe?
Frequency check: "hör" vs "hot" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "hör" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "hot" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,986,903 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "hör" and "hot" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "höh vs hot". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,986,903 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.