Which to use
“hic” is an intj and “hos” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #49,392
- “hic” frequency rank
- #31,601
- “hos” frequency rank
- 80993
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | hic | hos |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | An approximation to the sound of a hiccup, used e.g. to indicate drunkenness. | plural of ho |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set hic and hos apart are highlighted. They share 1 letter in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
Our dataset has no pronunciation recorded for both members, so the reliable separator here is grammatical: hic is anintj and hosanoun. On the page they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 80993, 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/. hos is at rank #31,601, tagged as anoun.
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 80993, this pair ranks #18,658 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of hic vs hos
Shared letters: h. Private to "hic": ci. Private to "hos": os.
"hic" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "hos" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "hic" and "hos" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "hic" or "hos"?
Remembering hic vs hos
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an intj, it's “hic”; for a noun, it's “hos”.
- 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