# hem vs hic

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

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

### hic
*intj · IPA /hɪk/ · frequency rank #49,392*
An approximation to the sound of a hiccup, used e.g. to indicate drunkenness.

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