hacky sack
"hacky-sack" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“hacky sack” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 10
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A game or activity in which one or a group of players try to keep a footbag off the ground using only their feet.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | hacky sack |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| Letters | 10 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “hacky sack” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
hacky sack is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.
The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for hacky sack, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
Etymologically, the entry records: A trademark of Wham-O. First use appears c. 1977. It uses a reduplication of the word sack with the word hacky; a hack, in the game's terminology, is akin to a point, and happens when every player in a group successfully passes the footbag. The correct English form is hacky sack, spelled H-A-C-K-Y- -S-A-C-K.
Definition
- 1A game or activity in which one or a group of players try to keep a footbag off the ground using only their feet.
- 2The footbag used for such a game.
Etymology
A trademark of Wham-O. First use appears c. 1977. It uses a reduplication of the word sack with the word hacky; a hack, in the game's terminology, is akin to a point, and happens when every player in a group successfully passes the footbag.
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “hacky sack”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is H-A-C-K-Y- -S-A-C-K - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English 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.