Which to use
“hab” is a verb and “hej” is an intj - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #126
- “hab” frequency rank
- #48,213
- “hej” frequency rank
- 48339
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | hab | hej |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs haben | informelle Grußformel |
Where the eye mixes hab and hej
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Why the eye confuses hab with hej
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: hab is [haːp] while hej is [haɪ]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs intj), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 48339, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
hab is recorded at frequency rank #126, classified as averb, pronounced [haːp]. hej is at rank #48,213, tagged as anintj, pronounced [haɪ].
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 48339, this pair ranks #1,252,155 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of hab vs hej
Shared letters: h. Private to "hab": ab. Private to "hej": ej.
"hab" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "hej" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Do "hab" and "hej" mean the same thing in a sentence?
In ordinary German text, does "hab" or "hej" show up more?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "hab" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "hej" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,252,155 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "hab" and "hej" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "heel vs hej". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,252,155 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.