Resources
Lecciones de gramáticaLecturasEjercicios de listeningFlash cardsFalsos amigos¿Cuál usar?SufijosPrefijosDiscover your levelBlogHivsHigh
'Hi' is the informal greeting (hello); 'high' means tall, elevated, or at a great level.
Side-by-side comparison
"Hi" is an informal greeting equivalent to "hello". Use it with friends, colleagues, or in any casual setting. More relaxed than "hello". "Hi there!" = a warm, friendly way to greet someone.
"Hi, could you connect me with the accounts department, please?"
She sent a quick hi to the new team member to welcome them.
Hi everyone, quick update before the meeting starts.
"High" describes an elevated position, a great level, or intense degree. "High price" = an elevated price. "High speed" = great velocity. "The high point of the trip" = the best or most important moment.
Interest rates reached a forty-year high last autumn.
The building has a high ceiling that creates a sense of space.
Morale was high after the record sales quarter.
Common mistake
- •"High, thanks for calling" when meaning the greeting is wrong: the informal greeting is "Hi".
- •"High" means elevated or is used as a noun (a record high).
Trick to remember it
- •"Hi" is just two letters, short like a quick greeting.
- •"High" has silent GH like "night", "light", "sight", longer, more elevated.
Quick rule
- •Is it the greeting? "Hi".
- •Is it the elevation, level, or maximum? "High".
Did you know?
The greeting "hi" appeared in American English in the late 19th century, probably as a variant of "hey". "High" is far older: it comes from Old English "heah", the same root as German "hoch" and Dutch "hoog". The GH in "high" once stood for a throaty sound, like the CH in Scottish "loch", that English speakers stopped pronouncing around the 15th century. The spelling stayed, which is why we have silent-GH words like night, light and through.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
_____, everyone! Great to see you all here tonight.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
The plane flew very _____ over the mountains. We could barely see it.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
One means to receive or agree to something, the other means to exclude or not include.
'Advice' is the guidance you receive (noun); 'advise' is the act of giving that guidance (verb).
'Affect' is the verb meaning to influence something; 'effect' is the noun meaning result or consequence.
'Aisle' is the walkway between rows of seats or shelves; 'isle' is a small island.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy