# haw

> English word · Interjection · IPA /hɔː/ · frequency rank #25,402

## Definitions
1. An imitation of laughter, often used to express scorn or disbelief. Often doubled or tripled (haw haw or haw haw haw).
2. An intermission or hesitation of speech, with a sound somewhat like "haw"; the sound so made.

## Etymology
From Middle English ha (interjection). Compare Old Norse há (interjection), Middle Low German ha, hā (interjection), Old High German aha, hei (interjection).

## Easily confused with
- **he** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/haw-vs-he)
- **hi** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/haw-vs-hi)
- **HD** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/haw-vs-hd)
- **ho** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/haw-vs-ho)
- **HR** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/haw-vs-hr)
- **HP** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/haw-vs-hp)
- **hm** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/haw-vs-hm)
- **HQ** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/haw-vs-hq)
- **hc** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/haw-vs-hc)
- **Hu** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/haw-vs-hu)
- **HK** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/haw-vs-hk)
- **HB** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/haw-vs-hb)
- **HG** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/haw-vs-hg)
- **HH** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/haw-vs-hh)
- **hv** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/haw-vs-hv)
- **hn** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/haw-vs-hn)
- **his** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/haw-vs-his)
- **her** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/haw-vs-her)
- **how** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/haw-vs-how)
- **him** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/haw-vs-him)

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