Which to use
“höre” is a verb and “how” is an adverb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #2,115
- “höre” frequency rank
- #4,899
- “how” frequency rank
- 7014
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | höre | how |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 1. Person Singular Indikativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs hören | nach der Methode fragend |
Where the eye mixes höre and how
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Visual trap between höre and how
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: höre is [ˈhøːʁə] while how is [haʊ]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs adverb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 7014, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
höre is recorded at frequency rank #2,115, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈhøːʁə]. 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 7014, this pair ranks #1,989,691 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of höre vs how
Shared letters: h. Private to "höre": erö. Private to "how": ow.
"höre" · 4 letters · shape CVCV · "how" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "höre" for "how" ever safe?
Frequency check: "höre" vs "how" - which ranks higher?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "höre" 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 #1,989,691 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "höre" and "how" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "höh vs how". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,989,691 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.