hakvshiWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: hak is a verb, hi is a phrase, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“hak” is a verb and “hi” is a phrase - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#38,795
“hak” frequency rank
#2,300
“hi” frequency rank
41095
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature hak hi
Definition 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs haken 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)

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set hak and hi apart are highlighted. They share 1 letter in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

3 ch
hak
2 ch
hi

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

hak and hi form a confusable pair in the German index, two distinct headwords that are easily confused because they look alike, sound alike, or both. They differ by 1 letter(s) in length - close enough that the eye skips over the difference, far enough that meaning fully diverges. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 41095, 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]. 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 41095, this pair ranks #1,489,517 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Frequency comparison

hak#38,795
hi#2,300

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "hak" and "hi" be used interchangeably?
No, "hak" and "hi" have distinct meanings and cannot be swapped without changing the meaning of a sentence. Understanding the specific definition and context for each word is essential for correct usage.

Remembering hak vs hi

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “hak”; for a phrase, it's “hi”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “hak” entry
  • Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list