# hear vs hem

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### hear
*verb · IPA /ˈhɪə/ · frequency rank #588*
To perceive sounds through the ear.

### hem
*intj · IPA /hɛm/ · frequency rank #21,236*
Used to fill in the gap of a pause with a vocalized sound.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hear-vs-hem