Which to use
“hoi” is an intj and “hör” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #41,901
- “hoi” frequency rank
- #2,601
- “hör” frequency rank
- 44502
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | hoi | hör |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Ausruf des (freudigen) Erstaunens | 2. Person Singular Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs hören |
Where the eye mixes hoi and hör
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Visual trap between hoi and hör
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: hoi is [hɔɪ̯] while hör is [høːɐ̯]. 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 (intj vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 44502, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
hoi is recorded at frequency rank #41,901, classified as anintj, pronounced [hɔɪ̯]. hör is at rank #2,601, tagged as averb, pronounced [høːɐ̯].
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 44502, this pair ranks #1,384,155 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of hoi vs hör
Shared letters: h. Private to "hoi": io. Private to "hör": rö.
"hoi" · 3 letters · shape CVV · "hör" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "hoi" for "hör" ever safe?
Which is more common, "hoi" or "hör"?
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 "hoi" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "hör" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #1,384,155 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "hoi" and "hör" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "höh vs hoi". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #1,384,155 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.