Which to use
“hay” is a verb and “hoz” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #42
- “hay” frequency rank
- #23,446
- “hoz” frequency rank
- 23488
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | hay | hoz |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Tercera persona del singular (él, ella, ello; usted, 2.ª persona) del presente de indicativo de haber. | Herramienta para segar trigo y otros cereales. Está formada por un mango corto que se ase con una sola mano y una hoja metálica curva con filo y dientes pequeños por el lado interior. La forma de la hoja permite que se de un corte se pueda cosechar un manojo de cañas y espigas. |
Where the eye mixes hay and hoz
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Why the eye confuses hay with hoz
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: hay is [ˈaj] while hoz is [ˈos]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they share most of their letters but differ in 2 positions, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs noun), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 23488, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
hay is recorded at frequency rank #42, classified as averb, pronounced [ˈaj]. hoz is at rank #23,446, tagged as anoun, pronounced [ˈos].
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 23488, this pair ranks #245,566 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs - a relatively easy-to-tell-apart pair.
Orthographic DNA of hay vs hoz
Shared letters: h. Private to "hay": ay. Private to "hoz": oz.
"hay" · 3 letters · shape CVV · "hoz" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "hay" for "hoz" ever safe?
Frequency check: "hay" vs "hoz" - which ranks higher?
What to do next
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "hay" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "hoz" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #245,566 of 323,831 scored Spanish confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "hay" and "hoz" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "hoz vs hut". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #245,566 of 323,831 scored Spanish pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.