Which to use
“hao” is a verb and “hoc” is a noun - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #43,972
- “hao” frequency rank
- #18,770
- “hoc” frequency rank
- 62742
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | hao | hoc |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Diminuer; s’épuiser; se consumer. | Sorte de jeu de carte introduit, parait-il, en France par Mazarin. |
Where the eye mixes hao and hoc
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 2 letters in sequence.
Why the eye confuses hao with hoc
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: hao is \haɔ˦\ while hoc is ^((h aspiré))\ɔk\. 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 62742, 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˦\. hoc is at rank #18,770, tagged as anoun, pronounced ^((h aspiré))\ɔk\.
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 62742, this pair ranks #85,539 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of hao vs hoc
Shared letters: ho. Private to "hao": a. Private to "hoc": c.
"hao" · 3 letters · shape CVV · "hoc" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "hao" for "hoc" ever safe?
Which is more common, "hao" or "hoc"?
Useful next steps
Visual near-miss handled. Browse the word pages or a neighbour when the next look-alike shows up.
- Full dictionary entry for "hao" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "hoc" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #85,539 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "hao" and "hoc" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "hao vs hash". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #85,539 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.