hicvshvWhat's the difference?

Quick tell: hic is a intj, hv is a verb, so they fill different roles in a sentence.

Which to use

“hic” is an intj and “hv” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.

#49,392
“hic” frequency rank
#35,759
“hv” frequency rank
85151
confusion score

Side-by-Side Comparison

Feature hic hv
Definition An approximation to the sound of a hiccup, used e.g. to indicate drunkenness. Abbreviation of have.

Where the spellings diverge

Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set hic and hv apart are highlighted. They share 1 letter in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.

3 ch
hic
2 ch
hv

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

Our dataset has no pronunciation recorded for both members, so the reliable separator here is grammatical: hic is anintj and hvaverb. On the page they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 85151, 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/. hv is at rank #35,759, tagged as averb.

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 85151, this pair ranks #10,857 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.

Orthographic DNA of hic vs hv

Shared letters: h. Private to "hic": ci. Private to "hv": v.

"hic" · 3 letters · shape CVC  ·  "hv" · 2 letters · shape CC

Frequency comparison

hic#49,392
hv#35,759

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list

Frequently Asked Questions

Can "hic" and "hv" be used interchangeably?
No - they are not even the same part of speech. "hic" is an intj and "hv" a verb, so a sentence built for one is usually ungrammatical with the other.
Which is more common, "hic" or "hv"?
"hv" is the more common of the two: it sits at frequency rank #35,759 in our English list, against #49,392 for "hic". The two are close in frequency, so neither is a safe default; check the meaning rather than guessing.

Remembering hic vs hv

The fastest way to pick the right one every time.

  • Check the role first: if you need an intj, it's “hic”; for a verb, it's “hv”.
  • 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

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

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