Which to use
“hak” is a verb and “hei” is an intj - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #38,795
- “hak” frequency rank
- #15,652
- “hei” frequency rank
- 54447
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | hak | hei |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs haken | Ausruf der Freude, Begeisterung oder Verwunderung |
Where the eye mixes hak and hei
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Visual trap between hak and hei
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: hak is [haːk] while hei is [haɪ̯]. 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 54447, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
hak is recorded at frequency rank #38,795, classified as averb, pronounced [haːk]. hei is at rank #15,652, tagged as anintj, 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 54447, this pair ranks #1,018,521 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of hak vs hei
Shared letters: h. Private to "hak": ak. Private to "hei": ei.
"hak" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "hei" · 3 letters · shape CVV
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "hak" for "hei" ever safe?
Which is more common, "hak" or "hei"?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "hak" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "hei" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,018,521 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "hak" and "hei" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "hak vs haze". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,018,521 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.