hanger

/ˈhæ̞ŋ.ə/

//ˈhæ̞ŋ.ə// noun

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

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

The verdict

“hanger” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #21,234. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#21,234
frequency rank, English
2,646
“H” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - One who hangs, or causes to be hanged; a hangman, paper hanger, etc.

Corpus desk

Index EN-hanger · hanger · English

hanger · rank #21,234 · 9 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #21,234
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,646
  • PHOTO-FINISH Greta

Nearest frequency peer: Greta (-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 “hanger”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “hanger” 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).

hanger vs hinge
67% similar
hanger vs hater
67% similar
hanger vs harder
67% similar

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

Key facts for hanger
PropertyValue
Headwordhanger
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈhæ̞ŋ.ə/
Letters6
Frequency rank#21,234
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “hanger”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).hangerlands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “Greta” (#21,233), “hawking” (#21,235), “hem” (#21,236). Among 2,646 “H” headwords, “hanger” is #21,234. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around hanger (IPA /ˈhæ̞ŋ.ə/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #21,234 among 2,646 “H” headwords. Wiktionary lists 11 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for hanger, with forms such as "ahnger", "hagner", and "hanegr". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "hinge", "hater", "harder", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Inherited from Middle English hanger, haunger, hangere, equivalent to hang + -er. Cognate with West Frisian hinger (“hanger”), Dutch hanger (“hanger”), German Hänger (“hanger”), Henker (“hangman”), Danish hænger (“hanger”), Norwegian henger (“hanger”), Swed… The correct English form is hanger, spelled H-A-N-G-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    One who hangs, or causes to be hanged; a hangman, paper hanger, etc.
  2. 2
    A person who attempts suicide by hanging.
  3. 3
    That by which a thing is suspended.
  4. 4
    That by which a thing is suspended.
  5. 5
    That by which a thing is suspended.
  6. 6
    That by which a thing is suspended.
  7. 7
    A short and broad backsword, worn so to hang at the side, especially popular in the 18th century.
  8. 8
    A steep, wooded slope.
  9. 9
    A hanging pitch; a pitch (typically a breaking ball or slider) that is poorly executed, hence easy to hit.
  10. 10
    Synonym of spectacular mark.
  11. 11
    A device secured by a bolt and used to attach a carabiner.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. With the jumpers and the drowners, McGee, you don't pick up a pattern. That's because a jumper damned near always makes it the first time, and a drowner is usually almost as successful, about the same rate as hangers.
  2. [H]is shoulder was graced with a broad buff belt, from whence depended a huge hanger with a hilt like that of a backsword […].

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English hanger, haunger, hangere, equivalent to hang + -er. Cognate with West Frisian hinger (“hanger”), Dutch hanger (“hanger”), German Hänger (“hanger”), Henker (“hangman”), Danish hænger (“hanger”), Norwegian henger (“hanger”), Swedish hängare (“hanger”).

This word in other languages

Kleiderbügel(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ahnger
  • hagner
  • hanegr
  • hangerr
  • hangger
  • hangre
  • hannger
  • hhanger
  • hnager

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ahnger2hagner2hanegr2hangerr1hangger1hangre2hannger1hhanger1
Edit distance from "hanger"

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 "hanger"?
"hanger" is spelled H-A-N-G-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈhæ̞ŋ.ə/.
What does "hanger" mean?
As a noun, "hanger" means: One who hangs, or causes to be hanged; a hangman, paper hanger, etc.
What words are commonly confused with "hanger"?
"hanger" is commonly confused with "hinge", "hater", "harder". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "hanger"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "hanger" is /ˈhæ̞ŋ.ə/. 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 "hanger"?
Inherited from Middle English hanger, haunger, hangere, equivalent to hang + -er. Cognate with West Frisian hinger (“hanger”), Dutch hanger (“hanger”), German Hänger (“hanger”), Henker (“hangman”), Danish hænger (“hanger”), Norwegian henger (“hang... 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 "hanger", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

hitman#21,237grassy#21,230Gracie#21,229Gladys#21,226

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

jargon9 variantsKhaled9 variantsleakage9 variantsDurban9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list