hard

/hɑːd/

//hɑːd// adj

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

"hard" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“hard” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #273 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#273
frequency rank, English
4
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Solid and firm.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

hard vs HD
0% similar
hard vs HR
0% similar
hard vs has
50% similar

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

Key facts for hard
PropertyValue
Headwordhard
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/hɑːd/
Letters4
Frequency rank#273
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “hard” 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). hard lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for hard is 4 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /hɑːd/. Corpus data places it at rank #273 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 31 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for hard, with forms such as "ahrd", "hadr", and "hardd". 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. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "HD", "HR", "has", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English hard, from Old English heard, from Proto-West Germanic *hard(ī), from Proto-Germanic *harduz, from Proto-Indo-European *kort-ús, from *kret- (“strong, powerful”). Cognates Cognate with Yola hard (“hard”), West Frisian hurd (“hard”), Alem… The correct English form is hard, spelled H-A-R-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    Solid and firm.
  2. 2
    Solid and firm.
  3. 3
    Solid and firm.
  4. 4
    Solid and firm.
  5. 5
    Solid and firm.
  6. 6
    Solid and firm.
  7. 7
    Solid and firm.
  8. 8
    Solid and firm.
  9. 9
    Solid and firm.
  10. 10
    Having a severe property; presenting difficulty.
  11. 11
    Having a severe property; presenting difficulty.
  12. 12
    Having a severe property; presenting difficulty.
  13. 13
    Having a severe property; presenting difficulty.
  14. 14
    Having a severe property; presenting difficulty.
  15. 15
    Having a severe property; presenting difficulty.
  16. 16
    Having a severe property; presenting difficulty.
  17. 17
    Unquestionable; unequivocal.
  18. 18
    Having a comparatively larger or a ninety-degree angle.
  19. 19
    Sexually aroused; having an erect penis.
  20. 20
    Having muscles that are tightened as a result of intense, regular exercise.
  21. 21
    Fortis.
  22. 22
    Fortis.
  23. 23
    Velarized or plain, rather than palatalized.
  24. 24
    Having a severe property; presenting a barrier to enjoyment.
  25. 25
    Having a severe property; presenting a barrier to enjoyment.
  26. 26
    In a physical form, not digital.
  27. 27
    Using a manual or physical process, not by means of a software command.
  28. 28
    Far, extreme.
  29. 29
    Of silk: not having had the natural gum boiled off.
  30. 30
    Of a market: having more demand than supply; being a seller's market.
  31. 31
    Hardcore.

Etymology

From Middle English hard, from Old English heard, from Proto-West Germanic *hard(ī), from Proto-Germanic *harduz, from Proto-Indo-European *kort-ús, from *kret- (“strong, powerful”). Cognates Cognate with Yola hard (“hard”), West Frisian hurd (“hard”), Alemannic German hert (“hard”), Bavarian hoat (“hard”), Central Franconian haat (“hard”), Dutch hard (“hard”), German hart (“hard”), Luxembourgish haart (“hard”), Danish, Swedish hård (“hard”), Faroese, Icelandic harður (“hard”), Norwegian Bokmål hard (“hard”), Norwegian Nynorsk hard, hard’u (“hard”), Gothic 𐌷𐌰𐍂𐌳𐌿𐍃 (hardus, “hard”), Ancient Greek κρατύς (kratús, “strong, mighty”), Sanskrit क्रतु (krátu, “power, might, ability”), Avestan 𐬑𐬭𐬀𐬙𐬎 (xratu).

Synonyms

adamantineconcretefirmgraniticgrimhardinflexiblelithicresistantrigidrobustsolidstiffstoutsturdystonytoughunbendingunyielding

Antonyms

cushionyflexiblesoftspongymoldabletenderyielding

This word in other languages

duro(Español)dur(Français)hart(Deutsch)duro(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ahrd,hadr,hardd,harrd,hhard,hrad

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ahrd2hadr2hardd1harrd1hhard1hrad2
Edit distance from "hard"

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 "hard"?
"hard" is spelled H-A-R-D. The IPA pronunciation is /hɑːd/.
What does "hard" mean?
As an adjective, "hard" means: Solid and firm.
What words are commonly confused with "hard"?
"hard" is commonly confused with "HD", "HR", "has". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "hard"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "hard" is /hɑːd/. 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 "hard"?
From Middle English hard, from Old English heard, from Proto-West Germanic *hard(ī), from Proto-Germanic *harduz, from Proto-Indo-European *kort-ús, from *kret- (“strong, powerful”). Cognates Cognate with Yola hard (“hard”), West Frisian hurd (“ha... 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 “hard”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is H-A-R-D - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /hɑːd/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “HD” - see the side-by-side comparison. hard vs HD
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list