hack

/hæk/

//hæk// verb

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"hack" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“hack” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #6,578. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#6,578
frequency rank, English
2,646
“H” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To chop or cut down in a rough manner.

Corpus desk

Index EN-hack · hack · English

hack · rank #6,578 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #6,578
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,646
  • PHOTO-FINISH graph

Nearest frequency peer: graph (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “hack”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “hack” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

hack vs hc
50% similar
hack vs HK
0% similar
hack vs has
50% similar

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

Key facts for hack
PropertyValue
Headwordhack
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/hæk/
Letters4
Frequency rank#6,578
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “hack”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).hacklands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “graph” (#6,577), “Hannah” (#6,579), “freezing” (#6,576). Among 2,646 “H” headwords, “hack” is #6,578. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around hack (IPA /hæk/), averb. Corpus frequency is #6,578 among 2,646 “H” headwords. Wiktionary lists 15 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for hack, with forms such as "ahck", "hacck", and "hackk". 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, "hc", "HK", "has", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English hacken, hakken, from Old English *haccian (“to hack”), from Proto-West Germanic *hakkōn, from Proto-Germanic *hakkōną (“to chop; hoe; hew”), from Proto-Indo-European *keg-, *keng- (“to be sharp; peg; hook; handle”). Cognate with Saterlan… The correct English form is hack, spelled H-A-C-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    To chop or cut down in a rough manner.
  2. 2
    To withstand or put up with a difficult situation.
  3. 3
    To make a quick code change to patch a computer program, often one that, while being effective, is inelegant or makes the program harder to maintain.
  4. 4
    To accomplish a difficult programming task.
  5. 5
    To work with something on an intimately technical level.
  6. 6
    To apply a trick, shortcut, skill, or novel method to something to increase productivity, efficiency or ease.
  7. 7
    To hack into; to gain unauthorized access to (a computer system, e.g., a website, or network) by manipulating code.
  8. 8
    To gain unauthorized access to a computer or online account belonging to (a person or organisation).
  9. 9
    To cheat by using unauthorized modifications.
  10. 10
    To strike an opponent with one's hockey stick, typically on the leg but occasionally and more seriously on the back, arm, head, etc.
  11. 11
    To make a flailing attempt to hit the puck with a hockey stick.
  12. 12
    To swing at a pitched ball.
  13. 13
    To kick (a player) on the shins.
  14. 14
    To strike in a frantic movement.
  15. 15
    To strike lightly as part of tapotement massage.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how hack appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. They hacked the brush down and made their way through the jungle.
  2. Among other things he found a sharp hunting knife, on the keen blade of which he immediately proceeded to cut his finger. Undaunted he continued his experiments, finding that he could hack and hew splinters of wood from the table and chairs with this new toy.

Etymology

From Middle English hacken, hakken, from Old English *haccian (“to hack”), from Proto-West Germanic *hakkōn, from Proto-Germanic *hakkōną (“to chop; hoe; hew”), from Proto-Indo-European *keg-, *keng- (“to be sharp; peg; hook; handle”). Cognate with Saterland Frisian häkje (“to hack”), West Frisian hakje (“to hack”), Dutch hakken (“to chop up; hack”), German hacken (“to chop; hack; hoe”), Danish hakke (“to chop”), Swedish hacka (“to hack; chop”), French hacher (“to chop”). The computer senses date back to at least 1955 when it initially referred to creative problem solving. By 1963, the negative connotations of “black hat” or malicious hacking had become associated with telephone hacking (cf. phreaking).

This word in other languages

cortar(Español)charcuter(Français)hacken(Deutsch)hackear(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ahck
  • hacck
  • hackk
  • hakc
  • hcak
  • hhack

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of hack - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

ahck2hacck1hackk1hakc2hcak2hhack1
Edit distance from "hack"

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 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "hack"?
"hack" is spelled H-A-C-K. The IPA pronunciation is /hæk/.
What does "hack" mean?
As a verb, "hack" means: To chop or cut down in a rough manner.
What words are commonly confused with "hack"?
"hack" is commonly confused with "hc", "HK", "has". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "hack"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "hack" is /hæk/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "hack"?
From Middle English hacken, hakken, from Old English *haccian (“to hack”), from Proto-West Germanic *hakkōn, from Proto-Germanic *hakkōną (“to chop; hoe; hew”), from Proto-Indo-European *keg-, *keng- (“to be sharp; peg; hook; handle”). Cognate wit... See the full etymology section above for more details.
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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "hack", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

foul#6,574fled#6,573lamp#6,586oven#6,602

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

pills6 variantsruth6 variantsslim6 variantsspam6 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list