Hefe

[ˈheːfə]

/[ˈheːfə]/ noun

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

The verdict

“Hefe” is a moderately-common German word, ranked #19,250 in German word frequency and used as a noun.

#19,250
frequency rank, German
4
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - einzelliger Pilz (zumeist Saccharomycetaceae aber auch Pichiaceae und Incertae sedis), der sich sexuell und/oder asexuell zumeist durch Sprossung, aber auch durch Spaltung (Schizosaccharomycetaceae...

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

Hefe vs HF
25% similar
Hefe vs her
25% similar
Hefe vs hey
25% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for Hefe
PropertyValue
HeadwordHefe
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈheːfə]
Letters4
Frequency rank#19,250
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Hefe” 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). Hefe lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The German entry for Hefe is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈheːfə]. Corpus data places it at rank #19,250 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for Hefe, with forms such as "ehfe", "heef", and "heffe". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "HF", "her", "hey", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

This headword's origin isn't recorded in our source data, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct German form is Hefe, spelled H-E-F-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    einzelliger Pilz (zumeist Saccharomycetaceae aber auch Pichiaceae und Incertae sedis), der sich sexuell und/oder asexuell zumeist durch Sprossung, aber auch durch Spaltung (Schizosaccharomycetaceae), vermehrt
  2. 2
    eine mit den unter [1] beschriebenen Pilzen durchsetzte Substanz, die verwendet wird als ein Gärprozess einleitendes Mittel bei der Herstellung bestimmter (alkoholischer) Getränke und als dem Teig beigegebener Stoff, der das Aufgehen/Treiben von Teig für bestimmte Backwaren bewirkt
  3. 3
    als übel, verkommen geltender Teil einer Bevölkerungsgruppe
  4. 4
    dasjenige Element, das etwas antreibt, beschleunigt, vorwärtstreibt

Synonyms

HefepilzBärmeGermGestYeastBermeGärmGäschtGästGeschtGischtGohreGöhreJäschtJästJest

This word in other languages

yeast(English)levadura(Español)levure(Français)levedura(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ehfe,heef,heffe,hfee,hhefe

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Hefe - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

ehfe2heef2heffe1hfee2hhefe1
Edit distance from "Hefe"

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 "Hefe"?
"Hefe" is spelled H-E-F-E. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈheːfə].
What does "Hefe" mean?
As a noun, "Hefe" means: einzelliger Pilz (zumeist Saccharomycetaceae aber auch Pichiaceae und Incertae sedis), der sich sexuell und/oder asexuell zumeist durch Sprossung, aber auch durch Spaltung (Schizosaccharomycetaceae...
What words are commonly confused with "Hefe"?
"Hefe" is commonly confused with "HF", "her", "hey". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Hefe"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Hefe" is [ˈheːfə]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Hefe" come from?
"Hefe" 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 “Hefe”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is H-E-F-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈheːfə] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “HF” - see the side-by-side comparison. Hefe vs HF
  • Browse more German words and confusable pairs in the same reference. German words
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