Which to use
“hej” and “hoi” are a confusable German pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #48,213
- “hej” frequency rank
- #41,901
- “hoi” frequency rank
- 90114
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | hej | hoi |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | informelle Grußformel | Ausruf des (freudigen) Erstaunens |
Where the eye mixes hej and hoi
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence. hej (CVC) and hoi (CVV) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Look-alike desk: hej vs hoi
A purely visual mix-up. hej ([haɪ]) and hoi ([hɔɪ̯]) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 90114, 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]. hoi is at rank #41,901, tagged as anintj, pronounced [hɔɪ̯].
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 90114, this pair ranks #50,297 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of hej vs hoi
Shared letters: h. Private to "hej": ej. Private to "hoi": io.
"hej" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "hoi" · 3 letters · shape CVV
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "hej" for "hoi" ever safe?
In ordinary German text, does "hej" or "hoi" show up more?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "hej" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "hoi" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #50,297 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "hej" and "hoi" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "heel vs hej". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #50,297 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.