Uhr vs Uhu, What's the Difference?

Which to use

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

#200
“Uhr” frequency rank: #38,464
“Uhu” frequency rank: 38664
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature	Uhr	Uhu
Definition	Instrument zur Messung der Zeit, Chronometer	größte, in der Dämmerung jagende Eule, speziell der Eurasische Uhu , mit auffälligen Federohren, orangeroten Augen und dunkelbraun geflecktem Gefieder, die in waldigen Vorgebirgen lebt

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Uhr and Uhu apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

3 ch

Uhr

3 ch

Uhu

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

A purely visual mix-up. Uhr ([uːɐ̯]) and Uhu ([ˈuːhu]) 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 - r in “Uhr” becomes u in “Uhu”. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 38664, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

Uhr is recorded at frequency rank #200, classified as anoun, pronounced [uːɐ̯]. Uhu is at rank #38,464, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈuːhu].

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 38664, this pair ranks #1,557,937 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.

Orthographic DNA of Uhr vs Uhu

Shared letters: hu. Private to "Uhr": r. Private to "Uhu": -.

"Uhr" · 3 letters · shape VCC · "Uhu" · 3 letters · shape VCV

Frequency comparison

Uhr#200

Uhu#38,464

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "Uhr" and "Uhu" be used interchangeably?

No. They are said differently ([uːɐ̯] versus [ˈuːhu]) and carry different meanings; reading the sentence aloud is usually enough to catch the wrong one.

Which is more common, "Uhr" or "Uhu"?

"Uhr" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #200 in our German list, against #38,464 for "Uhu". That is a wide gap, so in ordinary text the rarer spelling is the one worth double-checking.

Remembering Uhr vs Uhu

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 “Uhr” entry
Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable