Hun or Hon – Which Is Short for “Honey”? (Examples)

Looking for a shorter way to say honey? Well, there are two shortened words that get thrown around quite a bit; hon and hun. But, which one is correct? Are both of them correct? We will answer all of your questions for you, right here!

Hun or Hon – Which Is Short for ‘Honey’?

Both ‘hun’ and ‘hon’ can be used as a shortened form of the word ‘honey’. ‘Hun’ is often a much more slangy term, and it is the type of thing that you will use to refer to somebody close to you. ‘Hon’ is used more to address somebody.

Hun is a word that has only just started to enter use. You wouldn’t really have seen this spelling before the mid-2000s. It is the most common word for those that want to shorten the word ‘honey’. As with ‘honey. it is a term of endearment for somebody that you like, generally, a loved one or partner.

The use of ‘hon’ has fallen sharply since the word ‘hun’ started to be used. However, hon can be used as a shortened version of ‘honey’ too. While neither word is really good for use in professional speak, if you are addressing somebody, it is often recommended to use ‘hon’ instead of ‘hon’, although it doesn’t really matter too much. They would sound exactly the same when spoken out loud.

We know that you likely do not need reminding of this, but you should not use ‘hun’ or ‘hon’ for a shortened form of honey when you are talking about what bees produce. That is always just ‘honey’.

You are able to use both ‘hun’ and ‘hon’ interchangeably.

Hun

If you want to shorten the word ‘honey’, then you can easily use ‘hun’. While it is a slang term, it is one that has very quickly entered the English language around the world. It is mostly spelled ‘hun’ when used as an affectionate term for a loved one.

According to The Cambridge Dictionary, the definition of ‘hun’ is:

• short form of honey; a way of speaking to someone you like or love, or someone who you want to be friendly to.

So, use this word (or honey, or hon), when you are talking to somebody that you genuinely like. However, we do suggest that you never, ever use it in a professional setting. Ever. You should never greet somebody as ‘honey’ in a professional environment, shortened or otherwise.

Here are some examples of how to use ‘hun’ in a sentence:

1. How are you doing today, hun?
2. I have to ask my hun what she wants for dinner.
3. Are you feeling OK, hun?
4. I love you, hun.
5. You’re my hun, and you always will be!

Hon

Hon is a shortened version of the word ‘honey’, although it has mostly fallen out of use in favor of ‘hun’. It is used as an affectionate word for somebody who you love or like. It cannot be used to shorten the word ‘honey’, the substance created by bees.

The Cambridge Dictionary states that ‘hon’ is the short form of ‘honey’. It also points out that you should only use this word to refer to somebody you like or love, and never in a professional setting.

Here are some examples of how you can use ‘hon’ in a sentence:

1. You did a great job. Thanks, hon!
2. Hon, that dress really doesn’t look good on you.
3. Have you seen where the dog went hon?
4. The waitress used the word ‘hon’ quite a lot when she was waiting on our tables.
5. You can refer to your boyfriend or girlfriend as ‘hon’.

Which Is Used The Most?

According to Google Ngram Viewer, the word ‘hun’ is used ever so slightly more than the word ‘hon’. However, we cannot stress enough just how little extra it is used. They essentially get the same frequency of use.

What is interesting, however, is the fact that the use of the word ‘hun’ is very, very recent. It was not used up until the late 2000s, while the phrase ‘hon’ was used a whopping amount. However, the use of the word ‘hon’ has fallen rapidly since the tail end of the last century.

Final Thoughts

You can use either ‘hon’ or ‘hun’ as a short form of ‘honey’, but only when you are addressing somebody that you like or love. While both terms are interchangeable, the vast majority of people will use ‘hun’ nowadays.