# ahoy

> English word · Interjection · IPA /əˈhɔɪ/ · frequency rank #40,107

## Definitions
1. Used to hail a ship, a boat or a person, or to attract attention.
2. Warning of something approaching or impending.

## Etymology
From a- + hoy (a nautical call used in hauling), from Middle English hoy (interjection), a greeting dating back to the fourteenth century. Compare Dutch hoi (“hi!, hello!”).

## Easily confused with
- **ay** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ahoy-vs-ay)
- **ao** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ahoy-vs-ao)
- **any** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ahoy-vs-any)
- **Amy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ahoy-vs-amy)
- **AOL** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ahoy-vs-aol)
- **AOC** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ahoy-vs-aoc)
- **ATO** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ahoy-vs-ato)
- **ASO** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ahoy-vs-aso)
- **aro** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ahoy-vs-aro)
- **away** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ahoy-vs-away)
- **army** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ahoy-vs-army)
- **Andy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ahoy-vs-andy)
- **ally** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ahoy-vs-ally)
- **alot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ahoy-vs-alot)
- **atom** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ahoy-vs-atom)
- **atop** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ahoy-vs-atop)
- **Amos** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ahoy-vs-amos)
- **Avon** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ahoy-vs-avon)
- **anon** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ahoy-vs-anon)
- **airy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ahoy-vs-airy)

## Common misspellings (5)
`ahhoy`, `ahoyy`, `ahyo`, `aohy`, `haoy`

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