Hamburg

/ˈhæmbɝɡ/

//ˈhæmbɝɡ// name

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

"hamburg" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“Hamburg” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #12,615 in English word frequency and used as a proper noun.

#12,615
frequency rank, English
7
letters
11
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The second largest city in, and a state of, Germany.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Hamburg vs humbug
57% similar
Hamburg vs hamburger
67% similar
Hamburg vs Habsburg
75% similar

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

Key facts for Hamburg
PropertyValue
HeadwordHamburg
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˈhæmbɝɡ/
Letters7
Frequency rank#12,615
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Hamburg” sits in English 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). Hamburg 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 English entry for Hamburg is 7 letters long, classified as a proper noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈhæmbɝɡ/. Corpus data places it at rank #12,615 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 20 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for Hamburg, with forms such as "ahmburg", "habmurg", and "hambburg". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "humbug", "hamburger", "Habsburg", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From German Hamburg. The correct English form is Hamburg, spelled H-A-M-B-U-R-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    The second largest city in, and a state of, Germany.
  2. 2
    Any of various communities in the United States; named for the German city:
  3. 3
    Any of various communities in the United States; named for the German city:
  4. 4
    Any of various communities in the United States; named for the German city:
  5. 5
    Any of various communities in the United States; named for the German city:
  6. 6
    Any of various communities in the United States; named for the German city:
  7. 7
    Any of various communities in the United States; named for the German city:
  8. 8
    Any of various communities in the United States; named for the German city:
  9. 9
    Any of various communities in the United States; named for the German city:
  10. 10
    Any of various communities in the United States; named for the German city:
  11. 11
    Any of various communities in the United States; named for the German city:
  12. 12
    Any of various communities in the United States; named for the German city:
  13. 13
    Any of various communities in the United States; named for the German city:
  14. 14
    Any of various communities in the United States; named for the German city:
  15. 15
    Any of various communities in the United States; named for the German city:
  16. 16
    Any of various communities in the United States; named for the German city:
  17. 17
    Any of various communities in the United States; named for the German city:
  18. 18
    Any of various communities in the United States; named for the German city:
  19. 19
    A town in the Eastern Cape, South Africa; named for the German city.
  20. 20
    Hamburger SV, a German football club.

Etymology

From German Hamburg.

This word in other languages

Hamburgo(Español)Hambourg(Français)Hamburg(Deutsch)Hamburgo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ahmburg,habmurg,hambburg,hambrug,hambugr,hamburgg,hamburrg,hammburg,hamubrg,hhamburg,hmaburg

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ahmburg2habmurg2hambburg1hambrug2hambugr2hamburgg1hamburrg1hammburg1
Edit distance from "Hamburg"

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 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "Hamburg"?
"Hamburg" is spelled H-A-M-B-U-R-G. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈhæmbɝɡ/.
What does "Hamburg" mean?
As a proper noun, "Hamburg" means: The second largest city in, and a state of, Germany.
What words are commonly confused with "Hamburg"?
"Hamburg" is commonly confused with "humbug", "hamburger", "Habsburg". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Hamburg"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Hamburg" is /ˈhæmbɝɡ/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "Hamburg"?
From German Hamburg. See the full etymology section above for more details.
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 “Hamburg”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is H-A-M-B-U-R-G - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈhæmbɝɡ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “humbug” - see the side-by-side comparison. Hamburg vs humbug
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English 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