higher
/ˈhaɪɚ/
adjective
Core
1.adj.advanced in complexity or elaboration
“higher finance”
2.adj.of education beyond the secondary level
“higher education”
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higher and hire are homophones: they are pronounced identically and spelled differently, which is why they are so often swapped. higher means “advanced in complexity or elaboration”. hire means “engage or hire for work”. higher is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈhaɪɚ/
1.adj.advanced in complexity or elaboration
“higher finance”
2.adj.of education beyond the secondary level
“higher education”
1.v.engage or hire for work
“They hired two new secretaries in the department”
2.v.hold under a lease or rental agreement; of goods and services
3.v.engage for service under a term of contract
“We took an apartment on a quiet street”
| higher | hire | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈhaɪɚ/ | /ˈhaɪɚ/ |
| Said | HAHY-ur | HAHY-ur |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Letters | 6 | 4 |
| Parts of speech | adjective | verb, noun |
| Senses | 2 | 5 |
| How common | Core | Common |
| Synonyms | none recorded | engage, employ |
Full entry for higher · Full entry for hire · More comparisons