Hummel

[ˈhʊml̩]

/[ˈhʊml̩]/ noun

The verdict

“Hummel” is a moderately-common German word, ranked #17,615 in German word frequency and used as a noun.

#17,615
frequency rank, German
6
letters
7
tracked misspellings
11
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Vertreter einer Gattung aus der Familie der Echte Bienen mit plumpem, rundlichem Körper und einem pelzigen, häufig bunten Haarkleid (Bombus)

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Hummel vs Hummer
83% similar
Hummel vs Hummels
86% similar
Hummel vs Hummeln
86% similar

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

Key facts for Hummel
PropertyValue
HeadwordHummel
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈhʊml̩]
Letters6
Frequency rank#17,615
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs11
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Hummel” 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). Hummel 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 Hummel is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈhʊml̩]. Corpus data places it at rank #17,615 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for Hummel, with forms such as "hhummel", "hmumel", and "humel". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 11 confusable-pair relationships, "Hummer", "Hummels", "Hummeln", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct German form is Hummel, spelled H-U-M-M-E-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Vertreter einer Gattung aus der Familie der Echte Bienen mit plumpem, rundlichem Körper und einem pelzigen, häufig bunten Haarkleid (Bombus)
  2. 2
    weibliche Person (vor allem [kleines] Mädchen), die ausgelassen, lebhaft, ungestüm, voller Temperament beziehungsweise übermütig ist

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: hhummel,hmumel,humel,humeml,hummell,hummle,uhmmel

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Hummel - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

hhummel1hmumel2humel1humeml2hummell1hummle2uhmmel2
Edit distance from "Hummel"

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 "Hummel"?
"Hummel" is spelled H-U-M-M-E-L. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈhʊml̩].
What does "Hummel" mean?
As a noun, "Hummel" means: Vertreter einer Gattung aus der Familie der Echte Bienen mit plumpem, rundlichem Körper und einem pelzigen, häufig bunten Haarkleid (Bombus)
What words are commonly confused with "Hummel"?
"Hummel" is commonly confused with "Hummer", "Hummels", "Hummeln". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Hummel"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Hummel" is [ˈhʊml̩]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "Hummel" come from?
"Hummel" 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 “Hummel”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is H-U-M-M-E-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈhʊml̩] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Hummer” - see the side-by-side comparison. Hummel vs Hummer
  • 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