Hit vs. Hits – Which is Correct?
Both hit and hits are correct English words, but they serve different grammatical roles. Hit is the base verb and singular noun; hits is the third-person singular verb form and plural noun. Use hit after I, you, we, or they, but use hits with he, she, or it in speech.
Hit or Hits – Which is Correct?
Hit and hits are both correct. The right choice depends on the subject, tense, and whether the word functions as a verb or noun. Hit is the base form of the verb and can also be a singular noun. Hits is the third-person singular present-tense verb form or the plural form of the noun.
As a verb, use hit with I, you, we, and they: “They hit the ball.” Use hits with a singular third-person subject such as he, she, or it: “She hits the ball.” As a noun, use hit for one successful song, movie, attack, or physical blow, and hits for more than one.
The Best Trick to Remember the Difference
Use the subject-swap test. Replace the subject with he or they. If the sentence uses he, choose hits; if it uses they, choose hit. For nouns, remember that the added -s simply signals more than one: one hit, two hits.
| Word | Part of Speech | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| hit | Base verb or singular noun | Strike, reach, affect, or one successful work | They hit the target. / The song was a hit. |
| hits | Third-person singular verb or plural noun | Strikes, reaches, affects, or multiple successful works | She hits the target. / The album produced several hits. |
How to Use Hit
Hit is a highly versatile word used in formal and casual English. As a verb, it can mean to strike something, reach a destination or target, affect someone emotionally, or suddenly encounter a problem. It can also describe success, as in “The campaign hit its goal.” As a noun, hit can refer to a physical blow, a popular song, a successful film, a search result, or an attempt to make contact.
Example 1: The player hit the ball over the fence.
Example 2: We hit heavy traffic on the way to the airport.
Example 3: The new film became an unexpected hit.
What are the different forms of hit?
Hit is an irregular verb because its base form, simple past form, and past participle are all spelled hit. For example: “I hit the target yesterday” and “She has hit the target twice.” The present participle is hitting, with a doubled t. The third-person singular present form is hits: “He hits the ball well.” As a noun, hit has the regular plural hits.
| Form | Example |
|---|---|
| Base form: hit | They hit the target. |
| Third-person singular: hits | She hits the target. |
| Past tense: hit | He hit the target yesterday. |
| Past participle: hit | The arrow has hit the target. |
| Present participle: hitting | The arrow is hitting the target. |
| Plural noun: hits | The artist released several hits. |
Etymology of the word hit
Hit comes from Middle English and is related to an older Germanic word meaning to strike or come into contact with. Its spelling and pronunciation have remained remarkably stable. Over time, its meaning expanded from physical striking to include reaching a target, affecting someone, encountering a situation, and achieving popularity.
How to Use Hits
Hits has two primary uses. As a verb, it is the third-person singular present form of hit, used with he, she, it, or another singular noun. As a noun, hits is the plural of hit and describes multiple blows, successful songs, popular movies, website visits, or accurate results.
Example 1: The machine hits the correct temperature within minutes.
Example 2: That singer has several international hits.
Example 3: The website received thousands of hits after the announcement.
What are the different forms of hits?
As a verb, hits is not a separate tense; it is the third-person singular present form of hit. It changes to hit in the past tense and with plural subjects: “She hits the ball,” but “They hit the ball” and “She hit the ball yesterday.” As a noun, hits is the regular plural of hit.
Etymology of the word hits
Hits combines the word hit with the grammatical suffix -s. The suffix marks either third-person singular present-tense agreement in a verb or plurality in a noun. Its meaning therefore depends on the sentence: hits may mean “strikes” or “more than one hit.”
Related Concepts
Understanding subject–verb agreement and noun number makes the difference between hit and hits much easier to recognize.
- Subject–verb agreement: A present-tense verb must agree with its subject. Singular third-person subjects usually take hits, while I, you, and plural subjects take hit.
- Irregular verbs: The verb hit keeps the same spelling in the present base form, simple past, and past participle, although its third-person present form is hits.
- Singular and plural nouns: A singular noun names one item, while its plural form usually names more than one. Thus, one hit becomes multiple hits.
- Context-dependent meaning: Hit can describe physical contact, success, popularity, internet activity, or reaching a target. The surrounding words determine the intended meaning.
Examples from Media and Literature
The words hit and hits appear in many familiar contexts across entertainment, journalism, sports, and literature:
- Music reporting: A review may say that an artist released a new hit or that the performer is known for several major hits.
- Sports coverage: A report might state, “The batter hit the winning ball,” while describing how another player regularly hits home runs.
- Film news: A successful movie can be called a box-office hit, while a director’s career may include multiple cinematic hits.
- Detective fiction: A character may discover that a bullet hit its target or that an attacker’s repeated hits caused serious damage.
- Digital media: A news article may report that a viral video received millions of hits after it was shared online.
Practice Exercises
Choose the correct word to complete each sentence.
- The boxer ___ the heavy bag every morning. (hit / hits)
- They ___ the deadline despite several obstacles. (hit / hits)
- The band’s latest song is one of its biggest ___. (hit / hits)
- She ___ the target with her first attempt. (hit / hits)
- The article received thousands of online ___. (hit / hits)
Answer Key
- hits — The singular subject “the boxer” requires the third-person singular verb form.
- hit — The plural subject “they” takes the base verb.
- hits — The sentence refers to more than one successful song.
- hits — The singular subject “she” requires hits.
- hits — The plural noun refers to multiple visits or views.
Hit Synonyms
| Synonym | Definition |
|---|---|
| Strike | To make forceful physical contact with something. |
| Smack | To strike, usually with a sharp or noticeable impact. |
| Reach | To arrive at or attain a target, place, or goal. |
| Affect | To influence or emotionally impact someone or something. |
| Succeed | To achieve the intended result. |
Hits Synonyms
| Synonym | Definition |
|---|---|
| Strikes | Makes physical contact repeatedly or in the third-person singular form. |
| Blows | Physical impacts or forceful strikes. |
| Successes | Things that achieve popularity or a desired result. |
| Winners | Popular songs, films, products, or other successful works. |
| Views | Visits or requests recorded by a website or online service. |
Frequently Asked Questions
Question 1: Is “hit” or “hits” correct?
Both are correct. Use hit as the base verb, with plural subjects, or as a singular noun. Use hits with a singular third-person subject or as the plural noun.
Question 2: Is “hit” an irregular verb?
Yes. The simple past and past participle of hit are also hit. For example, “She hit the ball yesterday” and “She has hit the ball twice.”
Question 3: Should I write “he hit” or “he hits”?
Write he hits for a present-tense action: “He hits the ball.” Write he hit for a completed past action: “He hit the ball yesterday.”
Conclusion
Hit and hits are both standard English forms, but their uses differ. Choose hit with plural subjects, as the singular noun, and for the past tense; choose hits with singular third-person subjects or as the plural noun. Pro Tip: Checking subject–verb agreement and noun number prevents small errors that can affect your professional reputation.
