Which to use
“holà” and “hou” are a confusable French pair: similar on the page, but distinct in meaning, check the gloss before you choose.
- #38,841
- “holà” frequency rank
- #26,040
- “hou” frequency rank
- 64881
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | holà | hou |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Cri que les charretiers poussaient pour faire arrêter leurs chevaux. | Suppose le cri d’un fantôme. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set holà and hou apart are highlighted. They share 2 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
A purely visual mix-up. holà (^((h aspiré))\ɔ.la\) and hou (^((h aspiré))\u\) are said differently, so reading them aloud is the quickest way to catch the wrong one. On the page they stay close: they differ by 1 letter(s) in length. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 64881, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
holà is recorded at frequency rank #38,841, classified as anintj, pronounced ^((h aspiré))\ɔ.la\. hou is at rank #26,040, tagged as anintj, pronounced ^((h aspiré))\u\.
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 64881, this pair ranks #74,915 of 440,172 scored French confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of holà vs hou
Shared letters: ho. Private to "holà": là. Private to "hou": u.
"holà" · 4 letters · shape CVCV · "hou" · 3 letters · shape CVV
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "holà" and "hou" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "holà" or "hou"?
Remembering holà vs hou
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Read both glosses above and match the meaning you intend, only context separates this pair.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “holà” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable