hacken

[ˈhakn̩]

/[ˈhakn̩]/ verb

The verdict

“hacken” is a moderately-common German word, ranked #10,485 in German word frequency and used as a verb.

#10,485
frequency rank, German
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - mit einem spitzen Werkzeug auflockern, zerkleinern, zerschlagen

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

hacken vs Hafen
50% similar
hacken vs Haken
67% similar
hacken vs hauen
67% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for hacken
PropertyValue
Headwordhacken
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ˈhakn̩]
Letters6
Frequency rank#10,485
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “hacken” sits in German frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). hacken lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The German entry for hacken is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈhakn̩]. Corpus data places it at rank #10,485 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for hacken, with forms such as "ahcken", "haccken", and "hacekn". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "Hafen", "Haken", "hauen", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct German form is hacken, spelled H-A-C-K-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    mit einem spitzen Werkzeug auflockern, zerkleinern, zerschlagen
  2. 2
    (mit dem Schnabel) kräftig picken
  3. 3
    schnell und unsachgemäß, grob Tasten bedienen (Computertastatur, Tasteninstrument)
  4. 4
    unfair, hart spielen

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ahcken,haccken,hacekn,hackenn,hackken,hackne,hakcen,hcaken,hhacken

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of hacken - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ahcken2haccken1hacekn2hackenn1hackken1hackne2hakcen2hcaken2
Edit distance from "hacken"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 German corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "hacken"?
"hacken" is spelled H-A-C-K-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈhakn̩].
What does "hacken" mean?
As a verb, "hacken" means: mit einem spitzen Werkzeug auflockern, zerkleinern, zerschlagen
What words are commonly confused with "hacken"?
"hacken" is commonly confused with "Hafen", "Haken", "hauen". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "hacken"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "hacken" is [ˈhakn̩]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "hacken" come from?
"hacken" is a German word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “hacken”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct German spelling is H-A-C-K-E-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈhakn̩] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Hafen” - see the side-by-side comparison. hacken vs Hafen
  • Browse more German words and confusable pairs in the same reference. German words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list