Which to use
“hao” is a verb and “hem” is an intj - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #43,972
- “hao” frequency rank
- #35,982
- “hem” frequency rank
- 79954
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | hao | hem |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Diminuer; s’épuiser; se consumer. | Dont on se sert pour attirer l’attention, pour appeler. |
Where the eye mixes hao and hem
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence. hao (CVV) and hem (CVC) run the same length but a different consonant-vowel pattern - the shape difference is usually the fastest tell.
Why the eye confuses hao with hem
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: hao is \haɔ˦\ while hem is ^((h aspiré))\ɛm\. 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 intj), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 79954, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
hao is recorded at frequency rank #43,972, classified as averb, pronounced \haɔ˦\. hem is at rank #35,982, tagged as anintj, pronounced ^((h aspiré))\ɛm\.
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 79954, this pair ranks #22,065 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of hao vs hem
Shared letters: h. Private to "hao": ao. Private to "hem": em.
"hao" · 3 letters · shape CVV · "hem" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "hao" for "hem" ever safe?
Frequency check: "hao" vs "hem" - which ranks higher?
After this comparison
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 "hem" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #22,065 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "hao" and "hem" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "hao vs hash". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #22,065 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.