Hahnrei

[ˈhaːnˌʁaɪ̯]

/[ˈhaːnˌʁaɪ̯]/ noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

The verdict

“Hahnrei” is uncommon German (frequency #90,379 among 59,066 “H” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#90,379
frequency rank, German
59,066
“H” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Ehemann, dessen Frau fremdgeht und der dies hinnimmt, um den Frieden im Haus nicht zu gefährden; im Gegensatz zu vielen anderen betrogenen Ehemännern macht ein Hahnrei keinerlei Anstalten, sich für...

Key facts for Hahnrei
PropertyValue
HeadwordHahnrei
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈhaːnˌʁaɪ̯]
Letters7
Frequency rank#90,379
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Hahnrei” sits in German frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). Hahnrei lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

Hahnrei is uncommon German at frequency #90,379 among 59,066 “H” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed [ˈhaːnˌʁaɪ̯]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

Hahnrei has no tracked misspelling variants, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

This entry carries no recorded etymology, so spelling patterns must be inferred from the word's phoneme-to-grapheme mapping rather than from a documented borrowing chain. The correct German form is Hahnrei, spelled H-A-H-N-R-E-I.

Definition

  1. 1
    Ehemann, dessen Frau fremdgeht und der dies hinnimmt, um den Frieden im Haus nicht zu gefährden; im Gegensatz zu vielen anderen betrogenen Ehemännern macht ein Hahnrei keinerlei Anstalten, sich für den Ehebruch seiner Frau zu rächen (in früheren Zeiten zum Beispiel dadurch, dass er den Nebenbuhler straffrei umbrachte). Damit verstieß er damals sowohl gegen die weltlichen wie gegen die kirchlichen Gesetze und beging sogar eine Todsünde. Die Öffentlichkeit reagierte auf solches Verhalten mit vielerlei Erniedrigungen des Hahnreis. So wurde er mit Hörnern oder einem Geweih ausgestattet und rückwärts auf einen Esel gesetzt, den man dann durch die ganze Stadt führte.
  2. 2
    Ehebrecher
  3. 3
    eine Schneckenart (Murex cornutus)
  4. 4
    ein Kartenspiel

Synonyms

GehörnterHirschMurex cornutus

This word in other languages

mari complaisant(English)cabrón(Español)cocu(Français)cornudo(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 German corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "Hahnrei"?
"Hahnrei" is spelled H-A-H-N-R-E-I. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈhaːnˌʁaɪ̯].
What does "Hahnrei" mean?
As a noun, "Hahnrei" means: Ehemann, dessen Frau fremdgeht und der dies hinnimmt, um den Frieden im Haus nicht zu gefährden; im Gegensatz zu vielen anderen betrogenen Ehemännern macht ein Hahnrei keinerlei Anstalten, sich für...
How do you pronounce "Hahnrei"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Hahnrei" is [ˈhaːnˌʁaɪ̯]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Hahnrei" come from?
"Hahnrei" is a German word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “Hahnrei”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct German spelling is H-A-H-N-R-E-I - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈhaːnˌʁaɪ̯] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more German words and confusable pairs in the same reference. German words

Other uncommon German words near this rank

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list