Which to use
“hex” is a verb and “hey” is a phrase - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #35,833
- “hex” frequency rank
- #1,010
- “hey” frequency rank
- 36843
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | hex | hey |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs hexen | als Grußwort |
Where the eye mixes hex and hey
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses hex with hey
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: hex is [hɛks] while hey is [hɛɪ̯]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by a single letter - x in “hex” becomes y in “hey”, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs phrase), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 36843, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
hex is recorded at frequency rank #35,833, classified as averb, pronounced [hɛks]. hey is at rank #1,010, tagged as aphrase, pronounced [hɛɪ̯].
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 36843, this pair ranks #1,605,309 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of hex vs hey
Shared letters: eh. Private to "hex": x. Private to "hey": y.
"hex" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "hey" · 3 letters · shape CVV
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "hex" and "hey" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary German text, does "hex" or "hey" show up more?
What to do next
Eye-level mix-up between "hex" and "hey" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "hex" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "hey" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,605,309 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "hex" and "hey" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "heel vs hex". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,605,309 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.