Ways to say hello in English

Welcoming a person in English, like in any other language, differs based on who you are speaking to. You won’t use the same phrases to greet a colleague in a work environment and a friend in a familiar group. This is why the concepts of formal and informal speech exist.

Luckily, there are also a few creative ways to say hello in English that you may only hear or use occasionally. You can learn a few clever phrases to impress your conversation companion. It’s also a good language practice that makes your speech sound more proficient.

However, before we jump into exploring these cool words in English, let’s take a moment to practice our pronunciation. Regardless of your language level, it is beneficial to start at the basics sometimes.

The pronunciation of hello in English

Learning many new ways to say hello in English is a fantastic practice. Nonetheless, it’s also essential to make sure you know the proper pronunciation of hello in the first place. Below, you can listen to an audio clip and practice your English pronunciation with us!

Different ways to say hello

To make our guide to saying hello more comprehensive, we had to dive deeper. Besides the different ways of greeting someone, we also wanted to share with you how people used to greet each other back in the day.
Additionally, we compiled a list of five other ways to say hello from different languages to make your vocabulary more diverse. To ensure that learning new expressions is understandable, we broke down greetings into six categories:

  • Formal greetings
  • Informal greetings
  • Professional greetings
  • Funny greetings
  • Old-fashioned greetings
  • Hello on the phone, in a text, or email

Each category has up to ten “hello’s,” with example sentences that you can use for various occasions. The interesting thing is — you will find that many greetings are posed in the form of a question. This tends to show that we care for the people we have conversations with and want to know if they’re doing okay.

Learning new and exciting love idioms can also add flare to your conversations with people you are affectionate to. Without further ado, let’s begin uncovering the various ways of saying hi. Be sure to practice these greetings out loud to make sure you really remember them!

Formal ways to say hello

When you meet someone for the first time or if you’re talking to a person you’re not very familiar with, the informal way to say hi isn’t going to be appropriate. What works better in such a case is formal greetings. These are more polite sayings that won’t potentially offend the person you’re talking to.

Here are five formal ways to say hello in English:

Greeting Description Example in a sentence
Hello A standard way to greet someone in a formal environment. Hello, Mary. How are you doing?
Greetings! A formal way of greeting someone that shows excitement. Greetings, students! We have some exciting news.
How do you do? A polite way to greet someone and show curiosity about how they’re doing. How do you do, Sam? I heard some pretty heavy news.
Pleased to meet you A formal greeting that is used when meeting someone for the first time. Pleased to meet you, John. My name is Kate.
Nice to see you! A polite greeting that can be used among people who aren’t very familiar with each other. Oh, nice to see you, too, John!

Informal ways to say hello

Aside from the standard greetings we learn in the beginning, the English language offers many different ways to greet someone you’ve known for some time. These are called informal greetings. They can be used to welcome family, friends, and classmates.

Here are ten exciting informal ways to say hello in English:

Greeting Description Example in a sentence
Hi! The most common greeting in English. Hi! How have you been?
Hi there! Similar to “Hi,” but can be used when trying to grab someone’s attention. Hi there! Did you not see me?
Hey! Popular informal way to greet friends and family, one of the other ways to say hi. Hey, it’s been such a long time since we saw each other!
What’s up? An informal meeting is often used to ask how somebody is doing. Hey, Amy, what’s up?
How’s it going? Similar to “What’s up,” but a more informal way to say hello. Yo, Lucy, how’s it going?
Long time no see Casual greeting among people who have known each other for a long time. Jack, long time no see! How are you?
Sup? Short for “What’s up,” often used among young people. Sup, Julie, what are you up to?
Hiya! A standard informal greeting in England. Hiya, mate! How is your evening going?
What’s new? Informal option to say hi, often used to ask what new has happened in someone’s life. What’s new, Stacy? We haven’t seen each other for a while.
What’s good? A very informal greeting commonly used by teenagers. What’s good, bro? You look tired.

Professional ways to say hello

When you’re in a work environment, you need to learn how to greet someone, like a coworker, in a certain way. This is where professional greetings come into play. We compiled a list of ten professional ways to say hello in English for any situation in a workplace.

Here’s what they are:

Greeting Description Example in a sentence
Good morning/afternoon/evening One of the greetings that can be used in almost any situation. Good morning/afternoon/evening, have a nice day!
Hello, how are you? A standard way to say hello to someone that fits almost any situation. Hello, how are you? I haven’t seen you on lunch break.
Good day to you A short, formal way to say hello to someone you don’t know. Good day to you, sir.
It’s a pleasure to meet you! A more professional way to say, “Pleased to meet you.” It’s a pleasure to meet you! I've heard so much about you.
It’s nice to meet you One of the common welcomes that can be used when meeting or being introduced to someone for the first time. It’s nice to meet you all! I hope we can make a great team.

Funny ways to say hello

If you want to spice up your English speech and impress people around you, then learning humorous “Hello’s” is an excellent place to start. Some of these greetings are more on the funny side, while others are pretty unique and interesting.

Regardless, here are ten funny ways to say hello in English:

Greeting Description Example in a sentence
Look who it is! Usually coupled with an excited tone of voice, used to meet someone whom you haven’t seen for a while. Look who it is! It’s been so long since we’ve met.
What are you up to? Casual way to greet and ask if a person is currently busy. What are you up to? Let’s go play golf.
Fancy meeting you One of the fancy ways to say hello to someone you’re seeing for the first time. Fancy meeting you, m’lady.
Cheers! A common way to greet a familiar person in England. Curiously, cheers can also be used as a toast. Cheers to you, mate!
Sup, buddy An informal way to greet a friend in a joking manner. Sup, buddy. You’re looking a bit pale.
What’s up, buttercup? A creative way to say hello, often used toward a person you’re close with. What’s up, buttercup? Need some company?
What's cooking, good looking? One of the more exciting ways to greet, often used when greeting a significant other. What's cooking, good looking? Come give me a kiss.
Look what the cat has dragged in! One of the funny idioms in English, often used in a group of friends or a friendly environment. Wow, look what the cat has dragged in! Is that really you?
What's kickin'? A joking way to ask a friend how they have been doing. What’s kickin’ lately, mate?
Wassup, bro? Definitely a funny and casual way to meet a friend, often used among teenagers. Yo, wassup, bro? Do you want to go out tonight?

Old-fashioned ways to say hello

It’s pretty curious to know how people used to greet each other back in the day and reflect on it in our modern times. Many of these old-fashioned ways to say hello can only be found in English grammar books, while others can still be used today to bring a little nostalgia.

Here are five phrases that were used before our time you can try out:

Greeting Description Example in a sentence
G’day Short for “Good day,” an informal way to say hello, similar to “Hey!” today. G’day, mate! Are you doing alright?
Howdy! Short for “How do you do?”, now used as a synonym for “Hello!” Howdy, Mildred! You’re looking good today.
Ahoy! A casual call out used to draw someone’s attention from a distance. Ahoy! Are you even looking where you’re going?
Peace be with you An ancient way to say hello to someone now can be found only in books. Peace be with you, my friend.
Hail to thee This very old saying means “Hello to you.” Hail to thee and to thy people.

Ways to say hello on the phone, in a text, or email

In our modern days, we need to account for the ways to say hi in a few situations where we are unable to greet the person we are speaking to face to face. Sometimes, we need to find a way to start a conversation over a call, text, or email. You may have heard similar phrases in movies to learn English.

Hence, here are some of the expressions you can leverage in these types of situations:

Greeting Description Pronounced
Hello, how have you been? A polite greeting you can use when answering a phone call. Hello, Sarah, how have you been lately?
Hey there A common way people greet each other during texting. Hey there, are you free to go out tonight?
Dear… Starting an email using “Dear” and the person's name is suitable for a formal interaction. Dear John, I hope this email finds you well.

Hello in different languages

Hello synonyms

Now that we have learned all kinds of English welcomes, we want to discuss popular greetings in different languages. Knowing the different ways to say hi can help you during traveling and push you to explore a new culture.

Here’s how to say hello in five popular languages:

Greeting Description Pronounced
Cześć! Polish, informal way to greet someone in Poland. chech-sh-ch
Salut! French, casual greeting in France, often paired with an excited tone. suh-loo
Guten Tag German, a more formal way to greet someone, similar to “Good day.” ɡu-tn-tak
Shalom Hebrew, a casual greeting that originally means “peace” and “harmony” shuh-lom
Salve Italian, a more formal greeting in Italy, as opposed to the famous “Ciao,” which means “Be well! sàl·ve

Final thoughts on ways to say hi

English is a diverse and flexible language that is capable of communicating even the smallest of details. By learning a wide variety of welcome phrases, you broaden your speech and equip yourself to navigate many social situations.
In our guide, we demonstrated different ways to say hi in English in informal, professional, funny, old-fashioned, and modern-day interactions. As well as introducing you to some of the famous hello’s in other languages to inspire you to reach new horizons. Be sure to practice these greetings in suitable situations, and keep growing your English skills!