hei

[haɪ̯]

/[haɪ̯]/ intj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

The verdict

“hei” is a moderately-common German word, ranked #15,652 in German word frequency and used as an interjection.

#15,652
frequency rank, German
3
letters
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Ausruf der Freude, Begeisterung oder Verwunderung

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

hei vs hi
67% similar
hei vs hm
33% similar
hei vs hl
33% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for hei
PropertyValue
Headwordhei
LanguageGerman
Part of speechInterjection
IPA[haɪ̯]
Letters3
Frequency rank#15,652
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “hei” sits in German frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). hei lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The German entry for hei is 3 letters long, classified as an interjection, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [haɪ̯]. Corpus data places it at rank #15,652 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

No generated misspelling entries exist for hei in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "hi", "hm", "hl", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct German form is hei, spelled H-E-I.

Definition

  1. 1
    Ausruf der Freude, Begeisterung oder Verwunderung
  2. 2
    Ausruf zur Begrüßung (vergleiche hi)

Synonyms

juchheijuchhujuhuhalloheheyhihoi

Antonyms

bähbuh

This word in other languages

yippee(English)olé(Español)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 German corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "hei"?
"hei" is spelled H-E-I. The IPA pronunciation is [haɪ̯].
What does "hei" mean?
As an interjection, "hei" means: Ausruf der Freude, Begeisterung oder Verwunderung
What words are commonly confused with "hei"?
"hei" is commonly confused with "hi", "hm", "hl". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "hei"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "hei" is [haɪ̯]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "hei" come from?
"hei" is a German word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “hei”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct German spelling is H-E-I - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [haɪ̯] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “hi” - see the side-by-side comparison. hei vs hi
  • Browse more German words and confusable pairs in the same reference. German words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list