Quick answer
Higher describes something further up, while hire means to employ someone or, in British English, to rent something for a while. Memory hook: higher has a g like height; hire is what you do to a new employee.
The core difference
Higher is about height or level, whereas hire is about employing people or paying to use something temporarily.
- higher — further up or greater in level: The shelf is higher than I can reach.
- hire — to employ someone: The startup hired three new engineers this month.
- hire — to pay to use something temporarily (mainly British): We hired a van to move the furniture.
How to tell them apart
These two sound alike, so the error appears when people type quickly, often in job adverts and rental notices. Ask whether the sentence is about height, level or amount (higher) or about giving someone a job or paying to borrow something (hire).
Try this trick: higher contains high, so it belongs with anything that goes up, such as prices or ceilings. Hire is the word you will see on a van for rent or a job sign.
Frequently asked questions
Is it higher a person or hire a person?
You hire a person. Higher is the comparative of high and is not used to mean employ.
Does hire mean rent?
In British English, yes: you hire a van or a venue by paying to use it temporarily. American English usually says rent.
Can hire be a noun?
Yes. A hire is a newly employed person, as in She was the best hire last year, and it can also mean the payment for temporary use of something.
