Which to use
“hör” is a verb and “how” is an adverb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #2,601
- “hör” frequency rank
- #4,899
- “how” frequency rank
- 7500
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | hör | how |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs hören | nach der Methode fragend |
Where the eye mixes hör and how
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Visual trap between hör and how
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: hör is [høːɐ̯] while how is [haʊ]. 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 adverb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 7500, 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]. how is at rank #4,899, tagged as anadv, pronounced [haʊ].
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 7500, this pair ranks #1,987,929 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of hör vs how
Shared letters: h. Private to "hör": rö. Private to "how": ow.
"hör" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "how" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "hör" for "how" ever safe?
Which is more common, "hör" or "how"?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "hör" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "how" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,987,929 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "hör" and "how" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "höh vs how". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,987,929 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.