hamstring

/ˈhæmstɹɪŋ/

//ˈhæmstɹɪŋ// noun

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

"hamstring" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“hamstring” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #23,559. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#23,559
frequency rank, English
2,646
“H” headwords
15
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - One of the great tendons situated in each side of the ham, or space back of the knee, and connected with the muscles of the back of the thigh.

Corpus desk

Index EN-hamstring · hamstring · English

hamstring · rank #23,559 · 15 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #23,559
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 15 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,646
  • PHOTO-FINISH Hackney

Nearest frequency peer: Hackney (-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 “hamstring”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “hamstring” 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).

hamstring vs hammering
78% similar
hamstring vs hampering
78% similar

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

Key facts for hamstring
PropertyValue
Headwordhamstring
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈhæmstɹɪŋ/
Letters9
Frequency rank#23,559
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “hamstring”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).hamstringlands 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 “Hackney” (#23,558), “Heidelberg” (#23,560), “groomed” (#23,556). Among 2,646 “H” headwords, “hamstring” is #23,559. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around hamstring (IPA /ˈhæmstɹɪŋ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #23,559 among 2,646 “H” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for hamstring, with forms such as "ahmstring", "hammstring", and "hamsrting". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "hammering", "hampering", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From ham (“region back of the knee joint”) + string. The correct English form is hamstring, spelled H-A-M-S-T-R-I-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    One of the great tendons situated in each side of the ham, or space back of the knee, and connected with the muscles of the back of the thigh.
  2. 2
    The biceps femoris, semimembranosus, and semitendinosus muscles.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Developing muscle around both sides of a joint (think biceps and triceps, abs and low back, quads and hamstrings) should be one of your primary training considerations because strength on each side leads to lower injury rates.

Etymology

From ham (“region back of the knee joint”) + string.

This word in other languages

isquiotibial(Español)ischio-jambier(Français)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ahmstring
  • hammstring
  • hamsrting
  • hamsstring
  • hamstirng
  • hamstrign
  • hamstringg
  • hamstrinng
  • hamstrnig
  • hamstrring
  • hamsttring
  • hamtsring
  • hasmtring
  • hhamstring
  • hmastring

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of hamstring - 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.

ahmstring2hammstring1hamsrting2hamsstring1hamstirng2hamstrign2hamstringg1hamstrinng1
Edit distance from "hamstring"

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 "hamstring"?
"hamstring" is spelled H-A-M-S-T-R-I-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈhæmstɹɪŋ/.
What does "hamstring" mean?
As a noun, "hamstring" means: One of the great tendons situated in each side of the ham, or space back of the knee, and connected with the muscles of the back of the thigh.
What words are commonly confused with "hamstring"?
"hamstring" is commonly confused with "hammering", "hampering". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "hamstring"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "hamstring" is /ˈhæmstɹɪŋ/. 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 "hamstring"?
From ham (“region back of the knee joint”) + string. 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 "hamstring", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

horseshoe#23,563inpatient#23,569intensify#23,571foresight#23,543

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (15 here; floor ≥5).

Heidelberg15 variantsGreensboro15 variantsgreenfield15 variantsmartyrdom15 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list