Reference
A hammer and a hanging man are the same shape. So are an inverted hammer and a shooting star. Here is every pair, and the condition that actually separates it.
203 pairs of formations on this site can fire on the same bar or be mistaken for each other on the same chart. Every one is listed below with what actually separates it — because a page telling you a hammer is bullish, and elsewhere that a hanging man is bearish, has left out the part that matters: they are the same shape.
Where the detector’s own invalidation note names the other formation, that sentence is quoted. Where it does not, the difference is derived from the two definitions rather than asserted.
The shapes are the same. What decides which one fired is what happened before it — which is why the prior-slope threshold is a published parameter on each page rather than a hidden assumption. A detector that ignores context returns both on the same bar.
Prior trend. This one requires a preceding downtrend, the other a preceding uptrend.
Bearish Breakaway vs Bullish Breakaway
Prior trend. This one requires a preceding uptrend, the other a preceding downtrend.
Bearish Island Reversal vs Falling Window
Prior trend. This one requires a preceding uptrend, the other a preceding downtrend.
Bearish Separating Lines vs Bullish Separating Lines
Prior trend. This one requires a preceding downtrend, the other a preceding uptrend.
Bearish Three-Line Strike vs Bullish Three-Line Strike
Prior trend. This one requires a preceding downtrend, the other a preceding uptrend.
Bearish Three-Line Strike vs Three Black Crows
Prior trend. This one requires a preceding downtrend, the other a preceding uptrend.
Prior trend. This one requires a preceding uptrend, the other a preceding downtrend.
Bullish Three-Line Strike vs Three White Soldiers
Prior trend. This one requires a preceding uptrend, the other a preceding downtrend.
Cup and Handle vs Double Bottom
Prior trend. This one requires a preceding uptrend, the other a preceding downtrend.
Downside Gap Side-by-Side White Lines vs Upside Gap Side-by-Side White Lines
Prior trend. This one requires a preceding downtrend, the other a preceding uptrend.
Downside Tasuki Gap vs Upside Tasuki Gap
Prior trend. This one requires a preceding downtrend, the other a preceding uptrend.
Last Engulfing Bottom vs Three Outside Down
Prior trend. This one requires a preceding downtrend, the other a preceding uptrend.
Last Engulfing Top vs Three Outside Up
Prior trend. This one requires a preceding uptrend, the other a preceding downtrend.
Two Black Gapping vs Two Crows
Prior trend. This one requires a preceding downtrend, the other a preceding uptrend.
For these, one formation’s own invalidation note names the other and says what distinguishes them. This is the engine’s wording, not a summary of it.
Advance Block vs Three White Soldiers
Three white soldiers and advance block are the same three up candles separated only by whether the bodies grow or shrink.
Advance Block vs Stalled Pattern
Three white soldiers, advance block and stalled pattern are the same three rising candles graded by how the bodies behave: growing, shrinking gradually, or collapsing on the third.
Ascending Triangle vs Rectangle
The rising-floor floor is load-bearing: two equal highs with flat lows is a rectangle and carries no direction.
Bearish Abandoned Baby vs Bullish Abandoned Baby
See bullish-abandoned-baby — both gaps on full ranges.
Bearish Belt Hold vs Bearish Marubozu
A bearish marubozu satisfies this too.
Bearish Belt Hold vs Bearish Separating Lines
Overlaps with bearish-belt-hold by construction.
Bearish Closing Marubozu vs Bearish Marubozu
See bullish-closing-marubozu.
Bearish Closing Marubozu vs Bullish Closing Marubozu
See bullish-closing-marubozu.
Bearish Counterattack vs Bullish Counterattack
A piercing line closes into the prior body; a counterattack closes level with the prior close.
Bearish Doji Star vs Bearish Harami Cross
Gaps away from the prior body, unlike a harami cross.
Bearish Doji Star vs Evening Doji Star
Every evening doji star is also an evening star.
Bearish Doji Star vs Bullish Doji Star
A doji star gaps away from the prior body; a harami cross sits inside it.
Bearish Doji Star vs Collapsing Doji Star
Requiring only the first turns this into an ordinary doji star with a coincidence attached.
Bearish Engulfing vs Dark Cloud Cover
Closing below the first candle’s open makes it an engulfing instead.
Bearish Engulfing vs Three Outside Down
Contains a bearish engulfing by construction.
Bearish Engulfing vs Outside Bar
An outside bar need not be an engulfing and an engulfing need not be an outside bar — one is about ranges, the other about bodies.
Bearish Engulfing vs Last Engulfing Bottom
Shares its shape with bearish-engulfing and is separated only by the prior trend; the same warning applies as for the last engulfing top.
Bearish Harami vs Bearish Harami Cross
Overlaps with bearish-harami by construction.
Not a Japanese candlestick formation — it is a price-action construct, and it is included because it is the range-based sibling of harami and the comparison settles a confusion the literature never addresses.
Bearish Harami vs Three Inside Down
Overlaps with bearish-harami by construction, as three inside up does with its harami.
Bearish Harami vs Descending Hawk
Allowing a black second bar makes this a bearish harami, which is a different formation already in the set, and merging them would double-count the same bars under two names.
The mirror: a long up candle followed by a contained doji.
Bearish Hikkake vs Bullish Hikkake
See bullish-hikkake.
Bearish Hikkake vs Bearish Modified Hikkake
Every modified hikkake is also a hikkake.
Bearish Kicker vs Bullish Kicker
See bullish-kicker — the gap requirement makes this rare outside gapping markets.
Bearish Marubozu vs Bullish Marubozu
See bullish-marubozu — the two share every parameter and differ only in sign.
Bearish Tri-Star vs Bullish Tri-Star
See bullish-tristar — expect near-zero counts.
A pennant differs from a flag only in that the consolidation CONVERGES rather than drifting.
Bullish Abandoned Baby vs Morning Doji Star
If the third candle gaps as well, it is an abandoned baby.
Bullish Belt Hold vs Bullish Marubozu
A bullish marubozu satisfies this as well, since it has no lower wick either.
Bullish Belt Hold vs Bullish Separating Lines
The second candle is also a belt hold, so the two overlap by construction.
Bullish Belt Hold vs Bullish Closing Marubozu
A full marubozu satisfies this; a belt hold constrains the open instead.
Bullish Closing Marubozu vs Bullish Marubozu
A full marubozu satisfies this; a belt hold constrains the open instead.
Bullish Closing Marubozu vs Bullish Opening Marubozu
Note the existing set already carries the CLOSING marubozu, which constrains the other end; this constrains the open, and the two are different formations.
Bullish Counterattack vs Piercing Line
A piercing line closes into the prior body; a counterattack closes level with the prior close.
Bullish Doji Star vs Bullish Harami Cross
A doji star gaps away from the prior body; a harami cross sits inside it.
Bullish Doji Star vs Morning Doji Star
Every morning doji star is also a morning star.
Bullish Engulfing vs Bullish Harami
The inverse containment of bullish-engulfing: here the second body sits inside the first.
Bullish Engulfing vs Piercing Line
If the second candle closes above the first candle’s open it is an engulfing, not a piercing line.
Bullish Engulfing vs Three Outside Up
Contains a bullish engulfing by construction.
Bullish Engulfing vs Outside Bar
An outside bar need not be an engulfing and an engulfing need not be an outside bar — one is about ranges, the other about bodies.
Bullish Engulfing vs Last Engulfing Top
This shares its shape with bullish-engulfing and is separated from it ONLY by the prior trend, so its no-context variant is meaningless by construction and it is the one formation here whose count is entirely a statement about the trend filter.
Bullish Harami vs Bullish Harami Cross
Every harami cross is also a bullish harami, so the counts overlap by construction.
Not a Japanese candlestick formation — it is a price-action construct, and it is included because it is the range-based sibling of harami and the comparison settles a confusion the literature never addresses.
Bullish Harami vs Three Inside Up
Every three inside up contains a bullish harami, so the two detections overlap by construction.
Bullish Harami vs Homing Pigeon
A bullish harami requires the second candle to close up; a homing pigeon requires it to close down.
The difference between them prices what the doji adds.
This is the setup, not the confirmation — the classical pattern also requires price to close back above the inside bar’s high within a few candles, which is a separate test the engine does not fold in here.
Bullish Hikkake vs Bullish Modified Hikkake
Every modified hikkake is also a hikkake.
Bullish Island Reversal vs Rising Window
Testing only one of them turns this into an ordinary window with a coincidence attached, which is the most common way island counts are inflated.
Bullish Long Line vs Bullish Short Line
Long and short line are the same test with the threshold reversed, and both are context-free.
Bullish Marubozu vs Bullish Opening Marubozu
Note the existing set already carries the CLOSING marubozu, which constrains the other end; this constrains the open, and the two are different formations.
Bullish Pennant vs Symmetrical Triangle
Without the pole this is a symmetrical triangle, which carries no direction.
Bullish Short Line vs Spinning Top
A spinning top adds wick requirements; this does not.
Cup and Handle vs Rounding Bottom
The handle is what distinguishes this from a rounding bottom, and requiring it to sit near the rim is what stops any pullback qualifying.
Dark Cloud Cover vs Piercing Line
The mirror of the piercing line: a long up candle, then a candle that opens above the first candle’s high and closes back below the midpoint of the first body, but not below its open.
Doji vs Spinning Top
The lower body bound is what separates this from a doji; without it every doji is also a spinning top.
Every long-legged doji is also a doji; the wick minimums are the only difference.
Doji vs Rickshaw Man
Every rickshaw man is a long-legged doji; the centring test is the only difference, and it is what the maxOffsetPct parameter controls.
Identical in shape to `doji` and separated from it only by the trend filter, so it must never be counted alongside plain doji as though the two were independent observations — they are the same bars, partitioned.
Same partition warning as the northern doji: these are `doji` bars split by trend, not additional observations.
A pattern with no meaningful trough is a rectangle, not a reversal.
Downside Gap Three Methods vs Upside Gap Three Methods
See upside-gap-three-methods — the gap is filled here and survives in the tasuki version.
Overlaps with hammer by construction — a hammer with a small enough body satisfies both, and both detections are reported rather than arbitrated.
Dumpling Top vs Falling Window
The falling window is mandatory.
Evening Doji Star vs Evening Star
Every evening doji star is also an evening star.
Mirror of morning-star.
Falling Three Methods vs Rising Three Methods
See rising-three-methods — the same containment strictness and the same rarity.
Falling Window vs Two Black Gapping
The third bar must not exceed the second's high, or the window is being repaired and the formation is a failed gap rather than a confirmed one.
Fry Pan Bottom vs Rising Window
The rising window is mandatory, for the same reason the dumpling top demands its falling one.
Gravestone Doji vs Shooting Star
Overlaps with shooting star for the same reason dragonfly overlaps with hammer.
Geometrically identical to a hanging man; only the prior trend separates them, which is why maxPriorSlope is a parameter rather than a hard assumption.
The pair hammer/hanging-man and the pair inverted-hammer/shooting-star are the clearest available demonstration that context, not shape, is what the classical literature is actually claiming.
Every takuri is also a hammer.
Without minRangeAtr this is just a spinning top, and every quiet bar qualifies.
Identical Three Crows vs Three Black Crows
Three black crows requires each open to sit inside the previous body; this requires it to sit at the previous close.
Four formations share these two candles and differ only in where the second closes: on-neck at the prior low, in-neck at the prior close, thrusting inside the lower half of the body, piercing above the midpoint.
Four formations share these two candles and differ only in where the second closes: on-neck at the prior low, in-neck at the prior close, thrusting inside the lower half of the body, piercing above the midpoint.
The opposite of an inside bar: this candle’s high is above the previous high and its low below the previous low.
Inverse Head and Shoulders vs Rounding Bottom
Drop it and this becomes a superset of the inverse head and shoulders rather than a different shape.
Inverted Hammer vs Shooting Star
Identical geometry to a shooting star.
Long-Legged Doji vs Rickshaw Man
Every rickshaw man is a long-legged doji; the centring test is the only difference, and it is what the maxOffsetPct parameter controls.
Mat Hold vs Rising Three Methods
The difference from rising three methods is the gap on the second candle and the looser containment afterwards.
The mirror of matching low, and like it, the repeated level is a close rather than a wick.
A tweezer top matches highs, and the two catch different things — this one is not in TA-Lib, which carries only the bullish half of the pair.
Matching Low vs Tweezer Bottom
Unlike a tweezer bottom, which matches lows, this matches closes — the level that held is where the market settled, not where it was probed.
Matching Low vs Stick Sandwich
Matching low uses two adjacent closes; stick sandwich uses the first and third of three.
Morning Doji Star vs Morning Star
Every morning doji star is also a morning star.
Northern Doji vs Southern Doji
Same partition warning as the northern doji: these are `doji` bars split by trend, not additional observations.
Piercing line and thrusting are the same two candles distinguished only by where the second close lands.
Three highs within tolerance is also the definition of the upper edge of a rectangle.
Stalled Pattern vs Three White Soldiers
Three white soldiers, advance block and stalled pattern are the same three rising candles graded by how the bodies behave: growing, shrinking gradually, or collapsing on the third.
Three Black Crows vs Three White Soldiers
Mirror of three-white-soldiers, including maxOpenOutsideAtr.
Three Black Crows vs Three Stars in the South
Three black crows makes progressively LOWER lows; this makes progressively higher ones.
See tweezer-bottom — the tolerance parameter does all the work, and a generous setting turns this into noise.
Two Crows vs Upside Gap Two Crows
The only thing separating this from upside gap two crows is where the third candle closes: inside the first body here, still above it there.
Upside Gap Three Methods vs Upside Tasuki Gap
Tasuki gap and gap three methods are the same three candles distinguished only by whether the gap survives.
The same construction inverted. A result measured for one says nothing about the other until the other is measured too.
Ascending Triangle vs Symmetrical Triangle
Direction. The construction is the same read the other way up.
Ascending Triangle vs Rising Wedge
Direction. The construction is the same read the other way up.
Direction. The construction is the same read the other way up.
Bearish Marubozu vs Spinning Top
Direction. The construction is the same read the other way up.
Bearish Pennant vs Symmetrical Triangle
Direction. The construction is the same read the other way up.
Bearish Short Line vs Spinning Top
Direction. The construction is the same read the other way up.
Direction. The construction is the same read the other way up.
Bullish Marubozu vs Spinning Top
Direction. The construction is the same read the other way up.
Descending Triangle vs Rectangle
Direction. The construction is the same read the other way up.
Descending Triangle vs Symmetrical Triangle
Direction. The construction is the same read the other way up.
Descending Triangle vs Falling Wedge
Direction. The construction is the same read the other way up.
Direction. The construction is the same read the other way up.
Direction. The construction is the same read the other way up.
Direction. The construction is the same read the other way up.
Dragonfly Doji vs Gravestone Doji
Direction. The construction is the same read the other way up.
Direction. The construction is the same read the other way up.
Direction. The construction is the same read the other way up.
Last Engulfing Bottom vs Outside Bar
Direction. The construction is the same read the other way up.
Last Engulfing Top vs Outside Bar
Direction. The construction is the same read the other way up.
Long-Legged Doji vs Northern Doji
Direction. The construction is the same read the other way up.
Long-Legged Doji vs Southern Doji
Direction. The construction is the same read the other way up.
Direction. The construction is the same read the other way up.
Direction. The construction is the same read the other way up.
Direction. The construction is the same read the other way up.
Similar shapes over different spans. The longer rule is not a stronger version of the shorter one — it is a different condition that happens to look alike.
Advance Block vs Descending Hawk
Bar count. Advance Block is 3, Descending Hawk is 2.
Bearish Engulfing vs Upside Gap Two Crows
Bar count. Bearish Engulfing is 2, Upside Gap Two Crows is 3.
Bar count. Bearish Hikkake is 3, Inside Bar is 2.
Bearish Island Reversal vs Three Gaps
Bar count. Bearish Island Reversal is 3, Three Gaps is 4.
Bearish Kicker vs Bearish Marubozu
Bar count. Bearish Kicker is 2, Bearish Marubozu is 1.
Bar count. Bearish Tri-Star is 3, Doji is 1.
Bullish Harami vs Unique Three River
Bar count. Bullish Harami is 2, Unique Three River is 3.
Bullish Kicker vs Bullish Marubozu
Bar count. Bullish Kicker is 2, Bullish Marubozu is 1.
Bar count. Bullish Tri-Star is 3, Doji is 1.
Concealing Baby Swallow vs Ladder Bottom
Bar count. Concealing Baby Swallow is 4, Ladder Bottom is 5.
Concealing Baby Swallow vs Three Stars in the South
Bar count. Concealing Baby Swallow is 4, Three Stars in the South is 3.
Descending Hawk vs Stalled Pattern
Bar count. Descending Hawk is 2, Stalled Pattern is 3.
Downside Gap Three Methods vs Falling Window
Bar count. Downside Gap Three Methods is 3, Falling Window is 2.
Downside Tasuki Gap vs Falling Window
Bar count. Downside Tasuki Gap is 3, Falling Window is 2.
Dumpling Top vs Stalled Pattern
Bar count. Dumpling Top is 5, Stalled Pattern is 3.
Bar count. Evening Star is 3, Tower Top is 5.
Bar count. Morning Star is 3, Tower Bottom is 5.
Rising Window vs Upside Tasuki Gap
Bar count. Rising Window is 2, Upside Tasuki Gap is 3.
Rising Window vs Upside Gap Three Methods
Bar count. Rising Window is 2, Upside Gap Three Methods is 3.
Bar count. Rising Window is 2, Three Gaps is 4.
Bar count. Stalled Pattern is 3, Tower Top is 5.
Three Gaps vs Upside Gap Three Methods
Bar count. Three Gaps is 4, Upside Gap Three Methods is 3.
These overlap in shape and are told apart by the numbers. Both detections are reported rather than arbitrated, so the same bar can legitimately match more than one.
The same named thresholds at different values — compare the two pages.
Bearish Abandoned Baby vs Evening Doji Star
Thresholds. Only one of the two tests penetration.
Bearish Abandoned Baby vs Evening Star
Thresholds. Only one of the two tests maxDojiBodyPct, maxStarBodyRatio, penetration.
Bearish Abandoned Baby vs Bearish Island Reversal
Thresholds. Only one of the two tests minFirstBodyAtr, maxDojiBodyPct.
Bearish Abandoned Baby vs Collapsing Doji Star
Thresholds. Only one of the two tests minFirstBodyAtr, maxDojiBodyPct, maxDojiPct.
Bearish Belt Hold vs Bearish Closing Marubozu
Thresholds. Only one of the two tests maxUpperPct, trendPeriod, minPriorSlope.
Bearish Belt Hold vs Bearish Opening Marubozu
Thresholds. Only one of the two tests maxUpperPct, minBodyAtr, trendPeriod.
Bearish Closing Marubozu vs Bearish Opening Marubozu
Thresholds. Only one of the two tests maxLowerPct, minBodyAtr, atrPeriod.
Bearish Counterattack vs Dark Cloud Cover
Thresholds. Only one of the two tests matchTolAtr, minBodyAtr, minPriorBodyAtr.
Bearish Engulfing vs Bearish Harami
Thresholds. Only one of the two tests maxBodyRatio.
Bearish Island Reversal vs Evening Star
Thresholds. Only one of the two tests minFirstBodyAtr, maxStarBodyRatio, penetration.
Bearish Long Line vs Bearish Short Line
Thresholds. Only one of the two tests minBodyAtr, minBodyPct, maxBodyAtr.
Bearish Long Line vs Bearish Marubozu
The same named thresholds at different values — compare the two pages.
Bearish Marubozu vs Bearish Opening Marubozu
Thresholds. Only one of the two tests minBodyAtr, atrPeriod, maxShadowPct.
Bullish Abandoned Baby vs Morning Star
Thresholds. Only one of the two tests maxDojiBodyPct, maxStarBodyRatio, penetration.
Bullish Abandoned Baby vs Bullish Island Reversal
Thresholds. Only one of the two tests minFirstBodyAtr, maxDojiBodyPct.
Bullish Belt Hold vs Bullish Opening Marubozu
Thresholds. Only one of the two tests maxLowerPct, minBodyAtr, trendPeriod.
Bullish Counterattack vs Matching Low
Thresholds. Only one of the two tests minBodyAtr, minPriorBodyAtr.
Bullish Island Reversal vs Morning Star
Thresholds. Only one of the two tests minFirstBodyAtr, maxStarBodyRatio, penetration.
Bullish Long Line vs Bullish Marubozu
The same named thresholds at different values — compare the two pages.
Collapsing Doji Star vs Evening Doji Star
Thresholds. Only one of the two tests maxDojiPct, minFirstBodyAtr, maxDojiBodyPct.
Double Bottom vs Triple Bottom
The same named thresholds at different values — compare the two pages.
Double Bottom vs Inverse Head and Shoulders
The same named thresholds at different values — compare the two pages.
The same named thresholds at different values — compare the two pages.
Double Top vs Head and Shoulders
The same named thresholds at different values — compare the two pages.
Downside Gap Three Methods vs Downside Tasuki Gap
The same named thresholds at different values — compare the two pages.
Downside Gap Three Methods vs Two Black Gapping
Thresholds. Only one of the two tests minBodyAtr.
Thresholds. Only one of the two tests minRangeAtr, atrPeriod, trendPeriod.
Thresholds. Only one of the two tests minGapAtr, minTallAtr.
Evening Star vs Three Inside Down
Thresholds. Only one of the two tests maxStarBodyRatio, penetration, minGapAtr.
Evening Star vs Upside Gap Two Crows
Thresholds. Only one of the two tests maxStarBodyRatio, penetration.
Thresholds. Only one of the two tests maxStarBodyRatio, penetration.
Fry Pan Bottom vs Tower Bottom
Thresholds. Only one of the two tests minGapAtr, minTallAtr.
Fry Pan Bottom vs Ladder Bottom
Thresholds. Only one of the two tests maxSmallAtr, minGapAtr, minBodyAtr.
Thresholds. Only one of the two tests minLowerPct, maxUpperPct, minLowerToBody.
Head and Shoulders vs Triple Top
The same named thresholds at different values — compare the two pages.
The same named thresholds at different values — compare the two pages.
Inverse Head and Shoulders vs Triple Bottom
The same named thresholds at different values — compare the two pages.
Thresholds. Only one of the two tests minBodyAtr, minFourthUpperPct, minTallAtr.
Long-Legged Doji vs Spinning Top
Thresholds. Only one of the two tests minBodyPct.
Morning Star vs Three Inside Up
Thresholds. Only one of the two tests maxStarBodyRatio, penetration, minGapAtr.
Morning Star vs Unique Three River
Thresholds. Only one of the two tests maxStarBodyRatio, penetration, minGapAtr.
Rounding Bottom vs Triple Bottom
Thresholds. Only one of the two tests maxBowlAtr.
Three Inside Down vs Three Outside Down
Thresholds. Only one of the two tests minFirstBodyAtr, maxBodyRatio, minPriorBodyAtr.
Three Inside Up vs Three Outside Up
Thresholds. Only one of the two tests minFirstBodyAtr, maxBodyRatio, minPriorBodyAtr.
Every formation page lists its own confusables and the thresholds that separate them. The complete set is in plain text, and the terms used here are defined in the glossary.