'Hoard' is a secret store of valuable things; 'horde' is a large, often unruly crowd or group.
Noun/verb. A large supply of something valuable stored away. Also: to accumulate and store a large supply.
Archaeologists discovered a hoard of Roman coins buried under the field.
During the pandemic, some people hoarded hand sanitiser and toilet paper.
She kept a secret hoard of chocolate in her desk drawer.
Noun. A large group of people or animals, often disorderly or overwhelming.
A horde of journalists surrounded the building after the announcement.
Hordes of tourists flooded the city centre during the summer festival.
The sales event attracted a horde of bargain hunters from across the region.
Common mistake
"She discovered a horde of treasure" when meaning a secret stash (correct: hoard). Or "He hoarded the exit" — not quite right; it should be 'a horde blocked the exit'.
Trick to remember it
'Hoard' contains OAR like 'board' and 'store' — things you collect and keep. 'Horde' contains ORD like 'disorder' and 'border' — things involving many people or edges.
Quick rule
Is it the secret stash of valuables? 'Hoard'. Is it the large crowd or group? 'Horde'.
Did you know?
'Horde' comes from Turkish 'ordu' (military camp or army) — the Golden Horde of the Mongol Empire gave Europeans their first terrifying experience of the word. It spread through Russian and German into English. 'Hoard' comes from Old English 'hord' (treasure, hidden stock) — the root also gave us 'hoarding' (a large advertising billboard, originally a temporary fence around a building site used to store materials). Dragon hoards in fantasy literature draw directly from this ancient English concept.
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
A _____ of shoppers rushed through the doors when the store opened at midnight.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
The dragon sat on its _____ of gold coins, refusing to let anyone approach.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Is it the secret stash of valuables? 'Hoard'. Is it the large crowd or group? 'Horde'.
"She discovered a horde of treasure" when meaning a secret stash (correct: hoard). Or "He hoarded the exit" — not quite right; it should be 'a horde blocked the exit'.
'Hoard' contains OAR like 'board' and 'store' — things you collect and keep. 'Horde' contains ORD like 'disorder' and 'border' — things involving many people or edges.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy