# harp

> English word · Noun · IPA /hɑːp/ · frequency rank #17,154

## Definitions
1. A musical instrument consisting of a body and a curved neck, strung with strings of varying length that are stroked or plucked with the fingers and are vertical to the soundboard when viewed from the end of the body
2. A musical instrument consisting of a body and a curved neck, strung with strings of varying length that are stroked or plucked with the fingers and are vertical to the soundboard when viewed from the end of the body
3. Any musical instrument.
4. Any musical instrument.
5. A grain sieve.
6. The component of a lamp to which one attaches the lampshade, consisting of a lightweight frame that usually surrounds the bulb with an attachment at the top for the finial.
7. Ellipsis of harp seal.

## Etymology
From Middle English harpe, from Old English hearpe (“harp”), from Proto-West Germanic *harpā, from Proto-Germanic *harpǭ (“harp”). Cognate with Scots hairp (“harp”), West Frisian harpe, harp (“harp”), Low German Harp (“harp”), Dutch harp (“harp”), German Harfe (“harp”), Danish harpe (“harp”), Swedish harpa (“harp”).

## Easily confused with
- **HR** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/harp-vs-hr)
- **HP** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/harp-vs-hp)
- **has** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/harp-vs-has)
- **her** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/harp-vs-her)
- **hat** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/harp-vs-hat)
- **hip** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/harp-vs-hip)
- **hop** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/harp-vs-hop)
- **hay** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/harp-vs-hay)
- **haw** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/harp-vs-haw)
- **HRC** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/harp-vs-hrc)
- **HDR** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/harp-vs-hdr)
- **Hur** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/harp-vs-hur)
- **hav** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/harp-vs-hav)
- **hep** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/harp-vs-hep)
- **HRT** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/harp-vs-hrt)
- **hrm** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/harp-vs-hrm)
- **hor** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/harp-vs-hor)
- **HRW** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/harp-vs-hrw)
- **have** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/harp-vs-have)
- **here** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/harp-vs-here)

## Common misspellings (6)
`ahrp`, `hapr`, `harpp`, `harrp`, `hharp`, `hrap`

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