Which to use
“Hexe” is a noun and “hey” is a phrase - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #11,254
- “Hexe” frequency rank
- #1,010
- “hey” frequency rank
- 12264
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | Hexe | hey |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | 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 | als Grußwort |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set Hexe and hey apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
Hexe and hey 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 12264, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
Hexe is recorded at frequency rank #11,254, classified as anoun, pronounced [ˈhɛksə]. 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 12264, this pair ranks #1,965,206 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "Hexe" and "hey" be used interchangeably?
Remembering Hexe vs hey
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a noun, it's “Hexe”; for a phrase, it's “hey”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “Hexe” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable