# hark

> English word · Verb · IPA /hɑː(ɹ)k/ · frequency rank #36,592

## Definitions
1. To listen attentively.

## 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”).

## Easily confused with
- **HR** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hark-vs-hr)
- **HK** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hark-vs-hk)
- **has** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hark-vs-has)
- **her** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hark-vs-her)
- **hat** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hark-vs-hat)
- **hay** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hark-vs-hay)
- **haw** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hark-vs-haw)
- **HRC** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hark-vs-hrc)
- **HDR** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hark-vs-hdr)
- **Hur** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hark-vs-hur)
- **hav** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hark-vs-hav)
- **HRT** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hark-vs-hrt)
- **hrm** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hark-vs-hrm)
- **hor** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hark-vs-hor)
- **HRW** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hark-vs-hrw)
- **have** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hark-vs-have)
- **here** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hark-vs-here)
- **hear** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hark-vs-hear)
- **hate** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hark-vs-hate)
- **hurt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hark-vs-hurt)

## Common misspellings (6)
`ahrk`, `hakr`, `harkk`, `harrk`, `hhark`, `hrak`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/hark