hallmark
/ˈhɔːlmɑːk/
"hallmark" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“hallmark” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #17,850 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #17,850
- frequency rank, English
- 8
- letters
- 11
- tracked misspellings
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A distinguishing characteristic.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | hallmark |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈhɔːlmɑːk/ |
| Letters | 8 |
| Frequency rank | #17,850 |
| Misspellings tracked | 11 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “hallmark” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for hallmark is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈhɔːlmɑːk/. Corpus data places it at rank #17,850 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for hallmark, with forms such as "ahllmark", "hallamrk", and "hallmakr". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.
Etymologically, the entry records: 1721. From hall + mark, from Goldsmiths' Hall in London, the site of the assay office, official stamp of purity in gold and silver articles. The general sense of “mark of quality” first recorded 1864. Use as a verb from 1773. The correct English form is hallmark, spelled H-A-L-L-M-A-R-K.
Definition
- 1A distinguishing characteristic.
- 2An official marking made by a trusted party, usually an assay office, on items made of precious metals.
Etymology
1721. From hall + mark, from Goldsmiths' Hall in London, the site of the assay office, official stamp of purity in gold and silver articles. The general sense of “mark of quality” first recorded 1864. Use as a verb from 1773.
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: ahllmark,hallamrk,hallmakr,hallmarkk,hallmarrk,hallmmark,hallmrak,halmark,halmlark,hhallmark,hlalmark
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of hallmark - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.
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
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Using “hallmark”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is H-A-L-L-M-A-R-K - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈhɔːlmɑːk/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- 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.