Which to use
“hic” is an intj and “high” is an adjective - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #49,392
- “hic” frequency rank
- #172
- “high” frequency rank
- 49564
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | hic | high |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | An approximation to the sound of a hiccup, used e.g. to indicate drunkenness. | Physically elevated, extending above a base or average level: |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set hic and high apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: hic is /hɪk/ while high is /haɪ/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (intj vs adjective), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 49564, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
hic is recorded at frequency rank #49,392, classified as anintj, pronounced /hɪk/. high is at rank #172, tagged as anadj, pronounced /haɪ/.
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 49564, this pair ranks #182,412 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of hic vs high
Shared letters: hi. Private to "hic": c. Private to "high": g.
"hic" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "high" · 4 letters · shape CVCC
Known mistypes of this pair
- high ← hgih · hhigh · higgh · highh · hihg · ihgh
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "hic" and "high" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "hic" or "high"?
Remembering hic vs high
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an intj, it's “hic”; for an adjective, it's “high”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “hic” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable