# hiss vs hives

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### hiss
*noun · IPA /hɪs/ · frequency rank #27,171*
A sibilant sound, such as that made by a snake or escaping steam; an unvoiced fricative.

### hives
*noun · IPA /haɪvz/ · frequency rank #24,782*
Itchy, swollen, red areas of the skin which can appear quickly in response to an allergen or due to other conditions.

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