hark

/hɑː(ɹ)k/

//hɑː(ɹ)k// verb

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

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

The verdict

“hark” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #36,592. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#36,592
frequency rank, English
2,646
“H” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To listen attentively.

Corpus desk

Index EN-hark · hark · English

hark · rank #36,592 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #36,592
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,646
  • PHOTO-FINISH Haji

Nearest frequency peer: Haji (-1 rank slots)

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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “hark”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “hark” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

hark vs HR
0% similar
hark vs HK
0% similar
hark vs has
50% similar

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

Key facts for hark
PropertyValue
Headwordhark
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/hɑː(ɹ)k/
Letters4
Frequency rank#36,592
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “hark”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).harklands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “Haji” (#36,591), “hatchery” (#36,594), “Gurgaon” (#36,589). Among 2,646 “H” headwords, “hark” is #36,592. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around hark (IPA /hɑː(ɹ)k/), averb. Corpus frequency is #36,592 among 2,646 “H” headwords. Dominant gloss: "To listen attentively.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for hark, with forms such as "ahrk", "hakr", and "harkk". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "HR", "HK", "has", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English herken, herkien, from Old English *hercian, *heorcian, *hiercian, from Proto-West Germanic *hauʀikōn, *hauʀukōn, derived ultimately from Proto-Germanic *hauzijaną (“to hear”) + formative/intensive -k (see also the related hīeran, whence … The correct English form is hark, spelled H-A-R-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    To listen attentively.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. But harke, I heare the footing of a man.
  2. Hark! the herald angels sing / Glory to the new born King

Etymology

From Middle English herken, herkien, from Old English *hercian, *heorcian, *hiercian, from Proto-West Germanic *hauʀikōn, *hauʀukōn, derived ultimately from Proto-Germanic *hauzijaną (“to hear”) + formative/intensive -k (see also the related hīeran, whence English hear). Equivalent to hear + -k. Cognate with Scots herk (“to hark”), North Frisian harke (“to hark”), West Frisian harkje (“to listen”), obsolete Dutch horken (“to hark, listen to”), Middle Low German horken (“to hark”), German horchen (“to hark, harken to”).

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ahrk
  • hakr
  • harkk
  • harrk
  • hhark
  • hrak

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of hark - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

ahrk2hakr2harkk1harrk1hhark1hrak2
Edit distance from "hark"

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 "hark"?
"hark" is spelled H-A-R-K. The IPA pronunciation is /hɑː(ɹ)k/.
What does "hark" mean?
As a verb, "hark" means: To listen attentively.
What words are commonly confused with "hark"?
"hark" is commonly confused with "HR", "HK", "has". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "hark"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "hark" is /hɑː(ɹ)k/. 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 "hark"?
From Middle English herken, herkien, from Old English *hercian, *heorcian, *hiercian, from Proto-West Germanic *hauʀikōn, *hauʀukōn, derived ultimately from Proto-Germanic *hauzijaną (“to hear”) + formative/intensive -k (see also the related hīera... 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "hark", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Haji#36,591glut#36,583Gaya#36,575fina#36,558

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

gruff6 variantsKimmy6 variantslolly6 variantsMerc6 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list