hard copy
"hard-copy" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“hard copy” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 9
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A printed copy of a digital document, as opposed to a copy in electronic form.
Corpus desk
Index EN-hard-copy · hard copy · English
hard copy · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-LONG 9 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.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | hard copy |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| Letters | 9 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “hard copy” in English
Rare enough to double-check
hard copy is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A printed copy of a digital document, as opposed to a copy in electronic form.".
The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for hard copy, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
This headword's origin isn't recorded in our source data, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct English form is hard copy, spelled H-A-R-D- -C-O-P-Y.
Definition
- 1A printed copy of a digital document, as opposed to a copy in electronic form.
Recorded use
Wiktionary exampleThese source excerpts show how hard copy appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
But to the relief of those who prefer the print format, there are no plans to dispense with hard copies of the ERT. [European Rail Timetable]
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.