Which to use
“hei” is an intj and “hi” is a phrase - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #15,652
- “hei” frequency rank
- #2,300
- “hi” frequency rank
- 17952
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | hei | hi |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Ausruf der Freude, Begeisterung oder Verwunderung | 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: hei vs hi
Muted letters are shared; highlighted letters are the only spelling cue when pronunciation matches. Shared run: 2 letters.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
Say them out loud and nothing separates them: hei and hi carry the same recorded pronunciation, [haɪ̯]. Grammar is what tells them apart: one is anintj, 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 17952, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
hei is recorded at frequency rank #15,652, classified as anintj, 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 17952, this pair ranks #1,922,764 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of hei vs hi
Shared letters: hi. Private to "hei": e. Private to "hi": -.
"hei" · 3 letters · shape CVV · "hi" · 2 letters · shape CV
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "hei" and "hi" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "hei" or "hi"?
What to do next
You've compared "hei" and "hi". Here's where to go from here.
- Full dictionary entry for "hei" 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 #1,922,764 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "hei" and "hi" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "heel vs hei". Nearby pair
PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.