Hamish

/ˈheɪmɪʃ/

//ˈheɪmɪʃ// name

"hamish" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“Hamish” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #27,865 in English word frequency and used as a proper noun.

#27,865
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
8
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A male given name from Scottish Gaelic, of mostly Scottish usage.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Hamish vs hash
50% similar
Hamish vs hams
50% similar
Hamish vs harsh
50% similar

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

Key facts for Hamish
PropertyValue
HeadwordHamish
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˈheɪmɪʃ/
Letters6
Frequency rank#27,865
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs8
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Hamish” sits in English 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). Hamish 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 English entry for Hamish is 6 letters long, classified as a proper noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈheɪmɪʃ/. Corpus data places it at rank #27,865 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "A male given name from Scottish Gaelic, of mostly Scottish usage.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for Hamish, with forms such as "ahmish", "haimsh", and "hamihs". 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 8 confusable-pair relationships, "hash", "hams", "harsh", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Anglicized spelling of Scottish Gaelic Sheumais, vocative case of Seumas, from English James (see for more). Doublet of James etc. The correct English form is Hamish, spelled H-A-M-I-S-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    A male given name from Scottish Gaelic, of mostly Scottish usage.

Etymology

Anglicized spelling of Scottish Gaelic Sheumais, vocative case of Seumas, from English James (see for more). Doublet of James etc.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ahmish,haimsh,hamihs,hamishh,hamissh,hammish,hamsih,hhamish,hmaish

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Hamish - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

ahmish2haimsh2hamihs2hamishh1hamissh1hammish1hamsih2hhamish1
Edit distance from "Hamish"

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 "Hamish"?
"Hamish" is spelled H-A-M-I-S-H. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈheɪmɪʃ/.
What does "Hamish" mean?
As a proper noun, "Hamish" means: A male given name from Scottish Gaelic, of mostly Scottish usage.
What words are commonly confused with "Hamish"?
"Hamish" is commonly confused with "hash", "hams", "harsh". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Hamish"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Hamish" is /ˈheɪmɪʃ/. 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 "Hamish"?
Anglicized spelling of Scottish Gaelic Sheumais, vocative case of Seumas, from English James (see for more). Doublet of James etc. 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.

Using “Hamish”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is H-A-M-I-S-H - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈheɪmɪʃ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “hash” - see the side-by-side comparison. Hamish vs hash
  • 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list