Which to use
“hao” is a verb and “hi” is an onomatopoeia - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #43,972
- “hao” frequency rank
- #8,405
- “hi” frequency rank
- 52377
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | hao | hi |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Diminuer; s’épuiser; se consumer. | Cri de peur. |
Where the eye mixes hao and hi
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Why the eye confuses hao with hi
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: hao is \haɔ˦\ while hi is \i\. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs onomatopoeia), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 52377, 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˦\. hi is at rank #8,405, tagged as anonomatopoeia, pronounced \i\.
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 52377, this pair ranks #148,146 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of hao vs hi
Shared letters: h. Private to "hao": ao. Private to "hi": i.
"hao" · 3 letters · shape CVV · "hi" · 2 letters · shape CV
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "hao" for "hi" ever safe?
Which is more common, "hao" or "hi"?
After this comparison
Eye-level mix-up between "hao" and "hi" is sorted above. Next: full entries or other pairs that share a letter shape.
- Full dictionary entry for "hao" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "hi" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #148,146 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "hao" and "hi" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "hao vs hash". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #148,146 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.