Which to use
“hao” and “hey” are a confusable Spanish pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #40,863
- “hao” frequency rank
- #5,007
- “hey” frequency rank
- 45870
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | hao | hey |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Se usaba para llamar a uno que estuviese distante. | Eh, oye, se emplea parar llamar la atención, o para expresar placer, o sorpresa, etc. |
Where the eye mixes hao and hey
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Look-alike desk: hao vs hey
A purely visual mix-up. hao ([ˈao]) and hey (/heɪ/) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 45870, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
hao is recorded at frequency rank #40,863, classified as anintj, pronounced [ˈao]. hey is at rank #5,007, tagged as anintj, pronounced /heɪ/.
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 45870, this pair ranks #128,996 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of hao vs hey
Shared letters: h. Private to "hao": ao. Private to "hey": ey.
"hao" · 3 letters · shape CVV · "hey" · 3 letters · shape CVV
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "hao" and "hey" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "hao" or "hey"?
Useful next steps
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "hao" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "hey" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #128,996 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "hao" and "hey" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Hahn vs hao". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #128,996 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.