diff --git a/pinecone/models/vectors/search.py b/pinecone/models/vectors/search.py
index 05e0cc95..3a334127 100644
--- a/pinecone/models/vectors/search.py
+++ b/pinecone/models/vectors/search.py
@@ -83,6 +83,9 @@ class SearchUsage(StructDictMixin, Struct, kw_only=True):
     rerank_units: int | None = None
 
 
+_WIRE_KEY_ALIASES = {"_id": "id", "_score": "score"}
+
+
 class Hit(StructDictMixin, Struct, kw_only=True, rename={"id_": "_id", "score_": "_score"}):
     """A single search result hit.
 
@@ -117,7 +120,15 @@ def __getitem__(self, key: str) -> Any:
         if key == "score":
             return self.score_
         if key not in self.__struct_fields__:
-            raise KeyError(key)
+            alias = _WIRE_KEY_ALIASES.get(key)
+            if alias is not None:
+                raise KeyError(
+                    f"{key!r} is the wire name for this field; use hit[{alias!r}] or hit.{alias}"
+                )
+            raise KeyError(
+                f"{key!r}; available keys are 'id', 'score', and 'fields' "
+                "(record fields live in hit['fields'])"
+            )
         return getattr(self, key)
 
     def __contains__(self, key: object) -> bool:
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_search_models.py b/tests/unit/test_search_models.py
index b157ffc0..40ed3e12 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_search_models.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_search_models.py
@@ -35,6 +35,29 @@ def test_hit_bracket_missing_key(self) -> None:
         with pytest.raises(KeyError, match="nonexistent"):
             hit["nonexistent"]
 
+    def test_hit_bracket_missing_key_lists_available_keys(self) -> None:
+        hit = Hit(id_="r1", score_=0.5)
+        with pytest.raises(KeyError) as excinfo:
+            hit["nonexistent"]
+        assert "available keys" in str(excinfo.value)
+
+    def test_hit_bracket_wire_name_id_teaches_alias(self) -> None:
+        """The wire format calls the field '_id'; the error must point at hit['id']."""
+        hit = Hit(id_="r1", score_=0.5)
+        with pytest.raises(KeyError) as excinfo:
+            hit["_id"]
+        message = str(excinfo.value)
+        assert "wire name" in message
+        assert "hit['id']" in message
+
+    def test_hit_bracket_wire_name_score_teaches_alias(self) -> None:
+        hit = Hit(id_="r1", score_=0.5)
+        with pytest.raises(KeyError) as excinfo:
+            hit["_score"]
+        message = str(excinfo.value)
+        assert "wire name" in message
+        assert "hit['score']" in message
+
 
 class TestSearchUsage:
     def test_search_usage_required_only(self) -> None: