# hoax vs hold

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### hoax
*verb · IPA /həʊks/ · frequency rank #14,339*
To deceive (someone) by making them believe something that has been maliciously or mischievously fabricated.

### hold
*verb · IPA /həʊld/ · frequency rank #655*
To grasp or grip.

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