hang glider

/hæŋ ˈɡlaɪdə(ɹ)/

//hæŋ ˈɡlaɪdə(ɹ)// noun

"hang-glider" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“hang glider” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
11
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An unpowered aircraft resembling a large kite from which a rider is suspended in a harness.

Corpus desk

Index EN-hang-glider · hang glider · English

hang glider · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "H" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for hang glider
PropertyValue
Headwordhang glider
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/hæŋ ˈɡlaɪdə(ɹ)/
Letters11
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “hang glider” in English

hang gliderfalls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

hang glider is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /hæŋ ˈɡlaɪdə(ɹ)/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for hang glider, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: Calque of German Hängegleiter, from hängen (“hang”) + gleiten (“glide”). The correct English form is hang glider, spelled H-A-N-G- -G-L-I-D-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    An unpowered aircraft resembling a large kite from which a rider is suspended in a harness.
  2. 2
    The rider of such a craft.

Etymology

Calque of German Hängegleiter, from hängen (“hang”) + gleiten (“glide”).

This word in other languages

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

How do you spell "hang glider"?
"hang glider" is spelled H-A-N-G- -G-L-I-D-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /hæŋ ˈɡlaɪdə(ɹ)/.
What does "hang glider" mean?
As a noun, "hang glider" means: An unpowered aircraft resembling a large kite from which a rider is suspended in a harness.
How do you pronounce "hang glider"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "hang glider" is /hæŋ ˈɡlaɪdə(ɹ)/. 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 "hang glider"?
Calque of German Hängegleiter, from hängen (“hang”) + gleiten (“glide”). 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list