Hey vs Yo

When to use each in English, with meaning, register, and examples.

Hey

Informal Top 1,000 (very common) A1 exclamation

Yo

Informal Top 2,000 (common) A1

Most common: Hey

	Hey	Yo
Pronunciation	🇬🇧 /["/heɪ/"]/ 🇺🇸 /["/heɪ/"]/	🇬🇧 //jəʊ// 🇺🇸 //joʊ//
Meaning	A casual greeting used to say hello.	A casual greeting or way to get someone's attention.
Example	Hey, can I just ask you something?	Yo, are you coming to the party tonight?
Register	Informal	Informal
How common	Top 1,000 (very common)	Top 2,000 (common)
CEFR level	A1	A1
Part of speech	exclamation
Collocations	say hey, hey there, hey buddy, hey dude	say yo, shout yo, yo dude, yo man, yo what's up
Antonyms	goodbye, farewell, bye	-
Common mistakes	Using 'hey' in formal emails or letters., Spelling it as 'hay' when greeting someone.	Using 'yo' in formal emails or speeches., Mispronouncing it as 'yoe'., Confusing it with other greetings like 'hello' or 'hey'.
Usage notes	Primarily used in informal situations among friends or acquaintances. It's less appropriate in formal contexts or professional settings. Avoid using it with people you don't know well.	Typically used among friends or in casual settings. Not suitable for formal occasions or with people you don't know well.

See it in real clips

Hey. Oh, oh.

Breaking Bad › S1 E1

Hey.

Ted Lasso › S1 E1

Oh, oh, oh. Hey, hey, hey!

Hey. Oh, oh.

Breaking Bad › S1 E1

Hey.

Hey

The Wire › S1 E1

String. Yo, Stringer!

Succession › S1 E1

- Just gotta get somewhere quiet. - Yo, I got news.

Breaking Bad › S1 E1

Hey, yo. Kraze, how you doing, my man?

The Wire › S1 E1

String. Yo, Stringer!

Succession › S1 E1

- Just gotta get somewhere quiet. - Yo, I got news.

Yo

Frequently asked questions: Hey vs Yo

What's the difference between Hey and Yo?

Hey: A casual greeting used to say hello. Yo: A casual greeting or way to get someone's attention.

Which is more common: Hey and Yo?

Hey is the most common in everyday English.

Are Hey and Yo the same CEFR level?

Hey: A1, Yo: A1 on the CEFR scale.

Can you show an example of each?

Hey: Hey, can I just ask you something? Yo: Yo, are you coming to the party tonight?

Can I use Hey and Yo interchangeably?

Not always. Hey and Yo are related and overlap in some contexts, but they differ in register, how common they are, and usage, so swapping one for another can change the meaning or tone. Check the differences above before substituting.