Which to use
“Hai” is a noun and “hi” is a phrase - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #13,389
- “Hai” frequency rank
- #2,300
- “hi” frequency rank
- 15689
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Hai | hi |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | im Meer lebender Raubfisch (Überordnung Selachii) aus der Klasse der Knorpelfische | freundschaftliche, familiäre mündliche Begrüßung bei persönlichen Begegnungen und Telefongesprächen, bei denen der Angerufene weiß, wer ihn anruft (so dass auf eine Nennung des Namens verzichtet werden kann) |
Same sound, different letters: Hai vs hi
Muted letters are shared; highlighted letters are the only spelling cue when pronunciation matches. Shared run: 2 letters.
Homophone desk: Hai vs hi
Say them out loud and nothing separates them: Hai and hi carry the same recorded pronunciation, [haɪ̯]. Grammar is what tells them apart: one is anoun, the other aphrase, so most sentences will only accept one of them. They differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 15689, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Hai is recorded at frequency rank #13,389, classified as anoun, pronounced [haɪ̯]. hi is at rank #2,300, tagged as aphrase, pronounced [haɪ̯].
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 15689, this pair ranks #1,941,927 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Hai vs hi
Shared letters: hi. Private to "Hai": a. Private to "hi": -.
"Hai" · 3 letters · shape CVV · "hi" · 2 letters · shape CV
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "Hai" and "hi" be used interchangeably?
Frequency check: "Hai" vs "hi" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Sound matches; spelling doesn't. Use the exits below to lock the right form or check a cousin pair.
- Full dictionary entry for "Hai" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "hi" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,941,927 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Hai" and "hi" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Hai vs haze". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,941,927 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.