hackle
hack·le/ˈhækəl/noun, verb
hackle is spelled H-A-C-K-L-E: 6 letters and 2 syllables (hack·le). It appears about once in every 13 million words in written English, the 107,757th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, hackle means “An instrument with steel pins used to comb out flax or hemp” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of hackle is hackles.
How many letters and syllables are in hackle?
| Letters | 6: H-A-C-K-L-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: hack·le |
| In writing | about once in every 13 million words; the 107,757th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is hackle?
Hackle appears about once in every 13 million words in written English, the 107,757th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce hackle?
- /ˈhækəl/
- [ˈhækəl] ~ [ˈhækl̩]
Hackle has 2 syllables, split hack·le in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-hackle.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Naomi_Persephone_Amethyst_(NaomiAmethyst)-hackle.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of hackle
- hackles plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- hackling participle, present
- hackled participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does hackle mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
An instrument with steel pins used to comb out flax or hemp.
- 2
One of the long, narrow feathers on the neck of birds, most noticeable on the rooster.
- 3
A feather used to make a fishing lure or a fishing lure incorporating a feather.
- 4
By extension (because the hackles of a rooster are lifted when it is angry), the hair on the nape of the neck in dogs and other animals; also used figuratively for humans.
When the dog got angry, his hackles rose and he growled.
- 5
A type of jagged crack extending inwards from the broken surface of a fractured material.
- 6
A plate with rows of pointed needles used to blend or straighten hair.
- 7
A feather plume on some soldier's uniforms, especially the hat or helmet.
- 8
Any flimsy substance unspun, such as raw silk.
verb
- 1
To dress (flax or hemp) with a hackle; to prepare fibres of flax or hemp for spinning.
- 2
To separate, as the coarse part of flax or hemp from the fine, by drawing it through the teeth of a hackle or hatchel.
- 3
archaicTo tear asunder; to break into pieces.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Hackle in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does hackle come from?
From Middle English hakle (compare the compound meshakele), from Old English hæcla, hacele, from Proto-Germanic *hakulǭ, equivalent to hack + -le. Cognate with Dutch hekel, German Hechel.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).