hejvsHexeWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: hej is a intj, Hexe is a noun, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“hej” is an intj and “Hexe” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#48,213
“hej” frequency rank
#11,254
“Hexe” frequency rank
59467
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature hej Hexe
Definition informelle Grußformel weibliches, bösgesinntes und dämonisches Märchen- oder Sagenwesen zumeist in Gestalt einer hässlichen, zauberkräftigen Greisin mit einem Buckel und einer langen, krummen Nase, die Schadenszauber auf den Menschen ausüben kann und mit dem Teufel durch einen Pakt oder Buhlschaft verbündet ist

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set hej and Hexe apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

3 ch
hej
4 ch
Hexe

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: hej is [haɪ] while Hexe is [ˈhɛksə]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (intj vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 59467, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.

hej is recorded at frequency rank #48,213, classified as anintj, pronounced [haɪ]. Hexe is at rank #11,254, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈhɛksə].

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 59467, this pair ranks #823,470 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.

Orthographic DNA of hej vs Hexe

Shared letters: eh. Private to "hej": j. Private to "Hexe": x.

"hej" · 3 letters · shape CVC  ·  "Hexe" · 4 letters · shape CVCV

Known mistypes of this pair

  • Hexeehxe · heex · hexxe · hhexe · hxee

Frequency comparison

hej#48,213
Hexe#11,254

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "hej" and "Hexe" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "hej" is an intj and "Hexe" a noun, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "hej" or "Hexe"?
"Hexe" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #11,254 in our German list, against #48,213 for "hej". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering hej vs Hexe

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need an intj, it's “hej”; for a noun, it's “Hexe”.
  • See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “hej” 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