Which to use
“hem” is an intj and “how” is an adverb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #35,982
- “hem” frequency rank
- #10,887
- “how” frequency rank
- 46869
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | hem | how |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Dont on se sert pour attirer l’attention, pour appeler. | Comment, de quelle manière. |
Where the eye mixes hem and how
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 1 letter in sequence.
Look-alike desk: hem vs how
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: hem is ^((h aspiré))\ɛm\ while how is \ˈhaʊ\. 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 (intj vs adverb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 46869, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
hem is recorded at frequency rank #35,982, classified as anintj, pronounced ^((h aspiré))\ɛm\. how is at rank #10,887, tagged as anadv, pronounced \ˈhaʊ\.
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 46869, this pair ranks #191,410 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of hem vs how
Shared letters: h. Private to "hem": em. Private to "how": ow.
"hem" · 3 letters · shape CVC · "how" · 3 letters · shape CVC
Frequently Asked Questions
Is swapping "hem" for "how" ever safe?
Frequency check: "hem" vs "how" - which ranks higher?
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 "hem" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "how" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #191,410 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "hem" and "how" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "Hatem vs hem". Nearby pair
Confusion rank #191,410 of 440,172 scored French pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.