Which to use
“hey” is a phrase and “hoi” is an intj - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #1,010
- “hey” frequency rank
- #41,901
- “hoi” frequency rank
- 42911
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | hey | hoi |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | als Grußwort | Ausruf des (freudigen) Erstaunens |
Where the eye mixes hey and hoi
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Visual trap between hey and hoi
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: hey is [hɛɪ̯] while hoi is [hɔɪ̯]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (phrase vs intj), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 42911, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
hey is recorded at frequency rank #1,010, classified as aphrase, pronounced [hɛɪ̯]. 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 42911, this pair ranks #1,434,612 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of hey vs hoi
Shared letters: h. Private to "hey": ey. Private to "hoi": io.
"hey" · 3 letters · shape CVV · "hoi" · 3 letters · shape CVV
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "hey" and "hoi" be used interchangeably?
In ordinary German text, does "hey" or "hoi" show up more?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "hey" 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 #1,434,612 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "hey" and "hoi" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "höh vs hoi". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,434,612 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.