Which to use
“Hai” is a noun and “hör” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #13,389
- “Hai” frequency rank
- #2,601
- “hör” frequency rank
- 15990
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Hai | hör |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | im Meer lebender Raubfisch (Überordnung Selachii) aus der Klasse der Knorpelfische | 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs hören |
Where the eye mixes Hai and hör
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Why the eye confuses Hai with hör
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: Hai is [haɪ̯] while hör is [høːɐ̯]. 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 (noun vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 15990, 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]. hör is at rank #2,601, tagged as averb, pronounced [høːɐ̯].
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 15990, this pair ranks #1,939,535 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of Hai vs hör
Shared letters: h. Private to "Hai": ai. Private to "hör": rö.
"Hai" · 3 letters · shape CVV · "hör" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "Hai" and "hör" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "Hai" or "hör"?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "Hai" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "hör" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,939,535 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "Hai" and "hör" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Hai vs haze". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,939,535 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.