KaufhausvsKaufhäuserWhat's the difference?

Which to use

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

#17,337
“Kaufhaus” frequency rank
#49,818
“Kaufhäuser” frequency rank
67155
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature Kaufhaus Kaufhäuser
Definition großes, meist mehrere Etagen umfassendes Geschäft, in dem Handelswaren meist mehrerer Warengruppe in großer Sortimentstiefe und Sortimentsbreite angeboten werden Nominativ Plural des Substantivs Kaufhaus

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Kaufhaus and Kaufhäuser apart are highlighted. They share 7 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

8 ch
Kaufhaus
10 ch
Kaufhäuser

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

Kaufhaus and Kaufhäuser form a confusable pair in the German index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 2 letter(s) in length - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 67155, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Kaufhaus is recorded at frequency rank #17,337, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈkaʊ̯fˌhaʊ̯s]. Kaufhäuser is at rank #49,818, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈkaʊ̯fˌhɔɪ̯zɐ].

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 67155, this pair ranks #549,495 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Frequency comparison

Kaufhaus#17,337
Kaufhäuser#49,818

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Kaufhaus" and "Kaufhäuser" be used interchangeably?
No, "Kaufhaus" and "Kaufhäuser" have distinct meanings and cannot be swapped without changing the meaning of a sentence. Understanding the specific definition and context for each word is essential for correct usage.

Remembering Kaufhaus vs Kaufhäuser

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 “Kaufhaus” 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