Hoard vs Horde: Which One Do You Need?
A hoard is a stash of things. A horde is a crowd of people.
A hoard of Roman coins. Hordes of tourists.
The test that settles it
Count what is in it. Objects make a hoard; people make a horde.
“a ___ of silver” → objects, so hoard.
“___ of shoppers” → people, so hordes.
Hoard: a store
A collection built up and kept, often secretly. Also a verb: to accumulate and hold on to.
A hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold.
He hoards old newspapers.
Panic buying and hoarding.
Is it a pile of things? Then hoard.
Horde: a large group
A big, often unruly crowd. It came into English from Turkic ordu, a camp or army, by way of the Mongol hordes.
Hordes descended on the sales.
A horde of children ran past.
The Golden Horde.
Is it a crowd? Then horde.
Side by side
| Hoard | Horde |
|---|---|
| A store of things | A crowd of people |
| Noun and verb | Noun only |
| Contains oa, like board | Contains or, like order |
| A buried hoard | A marauding horde |
The exception
In British English a hoarding is a large advertising board or a temporary fence round a building site. It is unrelated to storing things, and Americans call it a billboard.
Where people get it wrong
| Incorrect | Correct | Why |
|---|---|---|
| hordes of tinned food | hoards of tinned food | Objects. |
| a hoard of fans outside | a horde of fans outside | People. |
| hoarding at the gates | hordes at the gates | A crowd. |
| a treasure horde | a treasure hoard | A store. |
Practice — choose the right word, then check yourself.
- Archaeologists found a ___ of jewellery.
- ___ of visitors filled the square.
- He ___ every receipt he has ever had.
- A ___ of supporters travelled north.
- Wartime ___ of fuel was illegal.
Show the answers
1. hoard 2. Hordes 3. hoards 4. horde 5. hoarding
Frequently asked
Which is the common slip?
Writing hoards of people. It is very frequent, partly because hoard is the better-known word.
Is horde always negative?
It usually implies disorder or excessive numbers, so it is rarely a compliment. Crowd is neutral.
More words people confuse
