hard-on

/ˈhɑɹdɑn/

//ˈhɑɹdɑn// noun

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

The verdict

“hard-on” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
7
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An erection of the penis.

Corpus desk

Index EN-hard-on · hard-on · English

hard-on · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 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.

Key facts for hard-on
PropertyValue
Headwordhard-on
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈhɑɹdɑn/
Letters7
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “hard-on” in English

hard-onsits beyond the 100,000 most-frequent English words, in the long tail of technical, archaic, or otherwise rare vocabulary where spelling doubt tends to strike hardest.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

hard-on is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈhɑɹdɑn/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

hard-on has no tracked misspelling variants, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

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-on, spelled H-A-R-D---O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    An erection of the penis.
  2. 2
    A desirous arousal based on a fascination or obsession.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. I'm lying here with a hard-on, it's not even 10:00 yet.
  2. Look at this place! I'm in hell! I may never get a hard-on again!

Synonyms

erect penis

This word in other languages

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "hard-on"?
"hard-on" is spelled H-A-R-D---O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈhɑɹdɑn/.
What does "hard-on" mean?
As a noun, "hard-on" means: An erection of the penis.
How do you pronounce "hard-on"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "hard-on" is /ˈhɑɹdɑn/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "hard-on" come from?
"hard-on" is a English word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list