HörspielvsHörspieleWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#16,735
“Hörspiel” frequency rank
#29,633
“Hörspiele” frequency rank
46368
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Hörspiel Hörspiele
Definition ursprünglich dramatische Dichtung für den Hörfunk; heute auch auf anderen Medien wie Schallplatte und CD erhältlich Variante für den Dativ Singular des Substantivs Hörspiel

Where the spellings diverge

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

8 ch
Hörspiel
9 ch
Hörspiele

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Hörspiel ([ˈhøːɐ̯ˌʃpiːl]) and Hörspiele ([ˈhøːɐ̯ˌʃpiːlə]) 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 extra letter(s) - “Hörspiel” sits inside “Hörspiele”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 46368, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Hörspiel is recorded at frequency rank #16,735, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈhøːɐ̯ˌʃpiːl]. Hörspiele is at rank #29,633, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈhøːɐ̯ˌʃpiːlə].

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 46368, this pair ranks #1,321,443 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Hörspiel vs Hörspiele

Shared letters: ehilprsö. Private to "Hörspiel": -. Private to "Hörspiele": -.

"Hörspiel" · 8 letters · shape CVCCCVVC  ·  "Hörspiele" · 9 letters · shape CVCCCVVCV

Frequency comparison

Hörspiel#16,735
Hörspiele#29,633

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Hörspiel" and "Hörspiele" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈhøːɐ̯ˌʃpiːl] versus [ˈhøːɐ̯ˌʃpiːlə]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Hörspiel" or "Hörspiele"?
"Hörspiel" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #16,735 in our German list, against #29,633 for "Hörspiele". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Hörspiel vs Hörspiele

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 “Hörspiel” 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