hank

[…]

/[…]/ noun

The verdict

“hank” is a moderately-common German word, ranked #27,764 in German word frequency and used as a noun.

#27,764
frequency rank, German
4
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - (Garn) Strang, Docke

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

hank vs hat
50% similar
hank vs hin
50% similar
hank vs hau
50% similar

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

Key facts for hank
PropertyValue
Headwordhank
LanguageGerman
Part of speechNoun
IPA[…]
Letters4
Frequency rank#27,764
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “hank” 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). hank 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 hank is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as […]. Corpus data places it at rank #27,764 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for hank, with forms such as "ahnk", "hakn", and "hankk". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "hat", "hin", "hau", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

This headword's origin isn't recorded in our source data, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct German form is hank, spelled H-A-N-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    (Garn) Strang, Docke
  2. 2
    (Garnmaß) Hank
  3. 3
    Legel

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ahnk,hakn,hankk,hannk,hhank,hnak

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of hank - 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.

ahnk2hakn2hankk1hannk1hhank1hnak2
Edit distance from "hank"

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 "hank"?
"hank" is spelled H-A-N-K. The IPA pronunciation is […].
What does "hank" mean?
As a noun, "hank" means: (Garn) Strang, Docke
What words are commonly confused with "hank"?
"hank" is commonly confused with "hat", "hin", "hau". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "hank"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "hank" is […]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "hank" come from?
"hank" is a German word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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 “hank”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is H-A-N-K - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as […] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “hat” - see the side-by-side comparison. hank vs hat
  • 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