hullo

Hullo is an informal interjection used to greet someone or to attract attention. It is a variant spelling of hello and is most commonly associated with British English, though it appears in texts from other varieties as well. The spelling with the o and u reflects historical pronunciations and the influence of related exclamations such as halloo, used to hail or summon a person at a distance.

In usage, hullo can function as a simple greeting (hullo there) or as a call to indicate presence or inquiry in spoken language, particularly in older dialogues or telephone-era speech. It is often employed to convey a friendly, rustic, or quaint tone in fiction and period writing, rather than in formal modern prose.

Etymology and development: The word derives from the same linguistic family as halloo and hello, with spelling variants evolving over time. The modern standard form is hello, but hullo persisted in British English into the 20th century and continues to appear in dialect writing and humorous contexts. Today it is largely seen as archaic or playful outside casual speech.

Regional notes: In British English, hullo is recognized as a quaint or dialectal variant and is more likely to be used for stylistic effect in literature or dialogue than in everyday writing. In American English, it is generally perceived as outdated or humorous when used outside intentional characterization.

See also: Hello; Halloo; Holla.