Which to use
“hoarse” is an adjective and “hose” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #43,691
- “hoarse” frequency rank
- #10,710
- “hose” frequency rank
- 54401
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | hoarse | hose |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Having a dry, harsh tone to the voice, as a result of a sore throat, age, emotion, etc. | A flexible tube conveying water or other fluid. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set hoarse and hose apart are highlighted. They share 4 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: hoarse is /hɔːs/ while hose is /həʊz/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 54401, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
hoarse is recorded at frequency rank #43,691, classified as anadj, pronounced /hɔːs/. hose is at rank #10,710, tagged as anoun, pronounced /həʊz/.
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 54401, this pair ranks #141,362 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of hoarse vs hose
Shared letters: ehos. Private to "hoarse": ar. Private to "hose": -.
"hoarse" · 6 letters · shape CVVCCV · "hose" · 4 letters · shape CVCV
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "hoarse" and "hose" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "hoarse" or "hose"?
Remembering hoarse vs hose
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need an adjective, it's “hoarse”; for a noun, it's “hose”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “hoarse” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable