TOEIC Link Part 5: hoard versus horde
Hoard and horde are pronounced the same but do different jobs. Hoard works as a verb meaning to store up or accumulate a supply, or as a noun naming the hidden stock itself. Horde is a noun meaning a large, moving crowd. Part 5 places them where either spelling could look right, so it checks whether you mean stockpiling something or a mass of people. For the wider set of look-alike traps, start with the commonly confused word pairs master index.
The core rule: stockpile versus crowd
- hoard (verb or noun) = to build up a supply, or the stored supply. Shoppers began to hoard bottled water before the storm. / Investigators found a hoard of counterfeit goods in the warehouse. It answers what did they do with the supplies? — piled them up. Link hoard to store and stockpile: it is about goods you keep.
- horde (noun) = a large crowd of people or things moving together. A horde of tourists filled the station at rush hour. / The sale drew a horde of shoppers to the entrance. It answers what filled the space? — a mass of people. Link horde to crowd and throng: it is about numbers of people.
The meaning does the memory work: hoard is about things you save (supplies, cash, goods); horde is about people in a crowd. One fills a storeroom; the other fills a hallway.
Why Part 5 likes this pair
Meaning and word class separate them. If the blank is a verb about stockpiling or a noun naming a stored supply, you need hoard. If the blank is a noun naming a crowd, you need horde.
During the shortage, some households began to __ basic groceries.
A verb about stockpiling supplies needs hoard.
A __ of commuters crowded onto the platform after the delay.
A noun naming a crowd of people needs horde.
Spotting the clue
Decide whether the sentence is about supplies or people:
- Does the blank describe saving up goods or the stored goods? → choose hoard (hoard supplies / a hoard of coins).
- Does the blank name a large crowd? → choose horde (a horde of fans).
A quick test: can you replace the word with "stockpile" or "a stash"? Then it is hoard. Can you replace it with "a crowd" or "a throng"? Then it is horde. When the sentence is about keeping goods, lean hoard; when it is about masses of people, lean horde. For more sound-alike traps that hide in Part 5, see the adjective and adverb confusable pairs study guide.