Hanukkah

/ˈhæ.nə.kə/

//ˈhæ.nə.kə// name

"hanukkah" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“Hanukkah” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #38,876. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#38,876
frequency rank, English
23,837
“H” headwords
10
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An eight-day Jewish festival, starting on the 25th day of Kislev, which commemorates the rededication of the temple in Jerusalem after the victory of the Maccabees over the Greek Syrians.

Key facts for Hanukkah
PropertyValue
HeadwordHanukkah
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˈhæ.nə.kə/
Letters8
Frequency rank#38,876
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Hanukkah” 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). Hanukkah lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around Hanukkah (IPA /ˈhæ.nə.kə/), aproper noun. Corpus frequency is #38,876 among 23,837 “H” headwords. Dominant gloss: "An eight-day Jewish festival, starting on the 25th day of Kislev, which commemorates the rededication of the temple in Jerusalem after the victory of the Maccabees over the Greek Syrians.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for Hanukkah, with forms such as "ahnukkah", "hankukah", and "hannukkah". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: Originated 1890–95. From Hebrew חנוכה / חֲנֻכָּה (khanuká, “dedication, consecration”) from חָנַךְ (khanákh, “to dedicate, to consecrate”). The correct English form is Hanukkah, spelled H-A-N-U-K-K-A-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    An eight-day Jewish festival, starting on the 25th day of Kislev, which commemorates the rededication of the temple in Jerusalem after the victory of the Maccabees over the Greek Syrians.

Etymology

Originated 1890–95. From Hebrew חנוכה / חֲנֻכָּה (khanuká, “dedication, consecration”) from חָנַךְ (khanákh, “to dedicate, to consecrate”).

Synonyms

Feast of DedicationFeast of LightsFestival of Lights

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ahnukkah
  • hankukah
  • hannukkah
  • hanukah
  • hanukakh
  • hanukkahh
  • hanukkha
  • haunkkah
  • hhanukkah
  • hnaukkah

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Hanukkah - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ahnukkah2hankukah2hannukkah1hanukah1hanukakh2hanukkahh1hanukkha2haunkkah2
Edit distance from "Hanukkah"

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 "Hanukkah"?
"Hanukkah" is spelled H-A-N-U-K-K-A-H. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈhæ.nə.kə/.
What does "Hanukkah" mean?
As a proper noun, "Hanukkah" means: An eight-day Jewish festival, starting on the 25th day of Kislev, which commemorates the rededication of the temple in Jerusalem after the victory of the Maccabees over the Greek Syrians.
What are common misspellings of "Hanukkah"?
Common misspellings include "ahnukkah", "hankukah", "hannukkah", "hanukah", "hanukakh". The correct spelling is "Hanukkah".
How do you pronounce "Hanukkah"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Hanukkah" is /ˈhæ.nə.kə/. 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 "Hanukkah"?
Originated 1890–95. From Hebrew חנוכה / חֲנֻכָּה (khanuká, “dedication, consecration”) from חָנַךְ (khanákh, “to dedicate, to consecrate”). 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 “Hanukkah”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is H-A-N-U-K-K-A-H - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈhæ.nə.kə/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

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