HummelnvsHummelsWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#36,407
“Hummeln” frequency rank
#16,457
“Hummels” frequency rank
52864
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Hummeln Hummels
Definition Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Hummel Genitiv Singular des Substantivs Hummel

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Hummeln and Hummels apart are highlighted. They share 6 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

7 ch
Hummeln
7 ch
Hummels

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Hummeln ([ˈhʊml̩n]) and Hummels ([ˈhʊml̩s]) 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 a single letter - n in “Hummeln” becomes s in “Hummels”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 52864, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Hummeln is recorded at frequency rank #36,407, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈhʊml̩n]. Hummels is at rank #16,457, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈhʊml̩s].

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 52864, this pair ranks #1,080,326 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of Hummeln vs Hummels

Shared letters: ehlmu. Private to "Hummeln": n. Private to "Hummels": s.

"Hummeln" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCC  ·  "Hummels" · 7 letters · shape CVCCVCC

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Hummelnhhummeln · hmumeln · humeln · humemln · hummelln · hummelnn · hummenl · hummlen
  • Hummelshhummels · hmumels · humels · humemls · hummells · hummelss · hummesl · hummles

Frequency comparison

Hummeln#36,407
Hummels#16,457

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Hummeln" and "Hummels" be used interchangeably?
No. They are said differently ([ˈhʊml̩n] versus [ˈhʊml̩s]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.
Which is more common, "Hummeln" or "Hummels"?
"Hummels" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #16,457 in our German list, against #36,407 for "Hummeln". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering Hummeln vs Hummels

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 “Hummeln” 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