Heuler
/ˈhɔɪ̯lɐ/
The German word for howler is Heuler.
Heuler is used to denote a mistake. In informal contexts, you might also encounter the terms Bockmist or Patzer to describe a blunder, slip-up or a significant howler in a playful or casual way.
Meaning: mistake (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈhɔɪ̯lɐ/
Did you know?
- German has a distinct concept of Fettnäpfchen, a small grease bowl. To 'step into the grease bowl' ins Fettnäpfchen treten is the idiomatic way to describe making a social howler or an embarrassing faux pas.
- If you call a person a Heuler, you are not calling them clumsy or prone to mistakes. You are labeling them a 'crybaby' or someone who wails excessively.
- While a Heuler is a mistake, it is also the literal word for 'a person who cries or wails'.
Examples in context
- Sein letzter Vortrag war ein echter Fauxpas.His last presentation was a real howler.
- Er hat einen kleinen Schnitzer in seiner Bewerbung gemacht.He made a small howler in his application.
- Was für ein Bockmist! Das war wirklich peinlich.What a howler! That was really embarrassing.
- Ich habe einen blöden Patzer in der Prüfung gemacht.I made a stupid howler in the exam.
- Das war ein echter Heuler.That was a real blunder.
- In dem Bericht steckt ein kleiner Heuler.There is a small mistake in the report.
- Verzeih mir diesen Heuler.Forgive me this blunder.
Example conversation
Sarah and Maximilian are checking their homework.
- SarahSchau mal, hier ist ein Heuler.Look, here is a howler.
- MaximilianWas hast du falsch gemacht, Sarah?What did you do wrong, Sarah?
- SarahIch habe die ganze Formel vergessen.I forgot the whole formula.
- MaximilianDas ist wirklich ein Heuler, Sarah.That really is a howler, Sarah.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry Heuler, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
