hello

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/həˈloʊ/
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A familiar greeting and call for attention, with informal uses for surprise or pointed notice and a noun or rare verb for the act of greeting.
Practice using this word in conversation

Examples

  • Hello? We have been waiting for twenty minutes.
  • Hello? The sign says the shop is closed.
  • He gave me a polite hello before the meeting.
  • I picked up the phone and said hello.
  • They helloed the neighbors before sitting down.

Similar words

hey
hi
hi
greetings
hey
wow
really
howdy
salutation
good afternoon

Meanings

Greeting or call for attention

interjection
everyday
neutral
A friendly word used when meeting someone, beginning a conversation, answering the phone, or calling attention.

Usage

Use hello as a neutral greeting in speech, writing, and phone calls. In very casual settings, hi or hey may sound warmer.

Examples

  • Hello, Maya, it is good to see you again.
  • I picked up the phone and said hello.
  • She waved from the gate and called hello.
  • Hello, is anyone in the office?
  • The presenter began with a cheerful hello to the audience.

Common mistakes

Using hello as a normal verb gives sentences like I helloed him, which sounds marked unless the rare verb sense is intended.
IncorrectCorrect
I hello you every morning. I say hello to you every morning.
She answered the phone, "Goodbye?" She answered the phone, "Hello?"
Hello John, nice to meet you. Hello, John, nice to meet you.
He said a hello loudly across the street. He shouted hello across the street.

Similar words

hi
hey
greetings
good morning
good afternoon
howdy

Surprise or pointed attention

interjection
conversation
informal
An informal exclamation used to show surprise, impatience, or that something obvious should be noticed.

Usage

Use hello? with care in this sense because it can sound playful, impatient, or sarcastic depending on tone.

Examples

  • Hello? The sign says the shop is closed.
  • Well, hello, I did not expect to find you here.
  • Hello? We have been waiting for twenty minutes.
  • She opened the box and said, "Hello, what is this?"
  • Hello? That answer was on the first page.

Common mistakes

The pointed sense is easy to overuse, especially when hello? sounds rude instead of lightly surprised.
IncorrectCorrect
Hello? Thank you for your application. Thank you for your application.
Hello, I forgot my keys again! Oh no, I forgot my keys again!
Hello? This report is excellent. Wow, this report is excellent.
Hello? That answer was in the first page. Hello? That answer was on the first page.

Similar words

really
come on
hey
well
wow

Spoken or written greeting

noun
everyday
neutral
A greeting made by saying or writing hello.

Usage

Use hello as a countable noun for the greeting itself, especially in phrases like a quick hello or their first hello.

Examples

  • A warm hello made the new student feel welcome.
  • Their first hello was awkward but kind.
  • She ended the message with a quick hello to my parents.
  • The room filled with smiles and hellos.
  • He gave me a polite hello before the meeting.

Common mistakes

The plural is hellos, and the noun should name a greeting rather than replace every opening line.
IncorrectCorrect
She sent two helloes from the airport. She sent two hellos from the airport.
The email needs a hello to the problem. The email needs a greeting before the problem.
Their hello was a long goodbye. Their hello turned into a long conversation.
I wrote a hello on the envelope. I wrote a greeting in the card.

Similar words

greeting
salutation
welcome
hi
opening

Greet by saying hello

verb
communication
informal
To greet someone by saying hello, a rare and informal use.

Usage

Use the verb hello only when the act of greeting with the word itself matters. In ordinary prose, say hello is usually smoother.

Examples

  • The children helloed every visitor at the door.
  • He helloed his way around the room.
  • They helloed the neighbors before sitting down.
  • She helloed politely and moved on.
  • The host hellos each caller before asking a question.

Common mistakes

The rare verb is often used where the natural phrase is say hello, especially in ordinary conversation.
IncorrectCorrect
Please hello your aunt for me. Please say hello to your aunt for me.
I helloed to the manager politely. I said hello to the manager politely.
They hello the guests yesterday. They said hello to the guests yesterday.
She helloed the email. She opened the email with a greeting.

Similar words

greet
welcome
salute
hail
address

Usage

Use hello for a neutral greeting, a phone opening, or a call for attention. Tone decides whether informal hello? sounds playful, surprised, or impatient.

Common mistakes

I hello you treats the ordinary interjection as a verb. Use say hello to unless the rare verb sense is deliberate.

Etymology

First recorded in the nineteenth century as a call for attention or surprise, hello developed from earlier forms such as hallo and hullo. Its greeting use became especially common with the spread of the telephone.

FAQ

What does hello mean?

hello is mainly a greeting or a call for attention, especially when meeting someone or answering the phone.

Can hello be a noun?

Yes. A hello is a spoken or written greeting, and the usual plural is hellos.

Is hello formal or informal?

hello is neutral in most settings. hi and hey are more casual, while good morning or good afternoon may sound more formal.

What does hello? mean when someone is annoyed?

hello? can point out something obvious or show impatience, so tone matters.

Where does hello come from?

hello comes from nineteenth-century attention calls such as hallo and hullo, and became a standard greeting with telephone use.

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