hank
/ˈheɪ̯ŋk/noun, verb
hank is spelled H-A-N-K: 4 letters and one syllable. It appears 5.4 times per million words in written English, the 10,680th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data, counting Hank, the name). As a noun, hank means “A coil or loop of something, especially twine, yarn, or rope” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of hank is hanks.
How many letters and syllables are in hank?
| Letters | 4: H-A-N-K |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 |
| In writing | 5.4 times per million words; the 10,680th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with | |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is hank?
Hank appears 5.4 times per million words in written English, the 10,680th most frequent word form in the list. The list counts every capitalisation together, so this includes Hank, the name.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce hank?
- /ˈhæŋk/
- [ˈhæŋk]
- US /ˈheɪ̯ŋk/
Hank has one syllable.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-hank.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with hank?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as hank from its last stressed vowel (/eɪŋk/):
Spelled with the same letters in another order: khan, ankh.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of hank
- hanks plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- hanking participle, present
- hanked participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does hank mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A coil or loop of something, especially twine, yarn, or rope.
- 2
A ring or shackle that secures a staysail to its stay and allows the sail to glide smoothly up and down.
- 3
Doubt, difficulty.
- 4
Mess, tangle.
- 5
A rope or withe for fastening a gate.
- 6
obsoleteHold; influence.
- 7
A throw in which a wrestler turns his left side to his opponent, twines his left leg about his opponent's right leg from the inside, and throws him backward.
verb
- 1
To form into hanks.
- 2
UKTo fasten with a rope, as a gate.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Hank in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense coil or loop:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | écheveau |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does hank come from?
From Middle English hank, of Scandinavian/North Germanic origin; akin to Old Norse hǫnk (compare haki (“something bent”)), related to Proto-Germanic *hakô (“hook”). Akin to Old English hangian (“to hang”). First known use: 14th century.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).