hash

/ˈhæʃ/

//ˈhæʃ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“hash” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #12,436 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#12,436
frequency rank, English
4
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Food, especially meat and potatoes, chopped and mixed together.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

hash vs HH
0% similar
hash vs his
50% similar
hash vs hat
50% similar

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

Key facts for hash
PropertyValue
Headwordhash
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈhæʃ/
Letters4
Frequency rank#12,436
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “hash” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for hash is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈhæʃ/. Corpus data places it at rank #12,436 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for hash, with forms such as "ahsh", "hahs", and "hashh". 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, "HH", "his", "hat", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From French hacher (“to chop”), from Middle French hacher, from Old French hacher, from Old French hache (“axe”), from Frankish *happjā (“axe”). Compare also Old English ġehæċċa (“sausage meat”, literally “that which is hacked or chopped up”). The correct English form is hash, spelled H-A-S-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    Food, especially meat and potatoes, chopped and mixed together.
  2. 2
    A confused mess.
  3. 3
    The # symbol (octothorpe, pound).
  4. 4
    The result generated by a hash function.
  5. 5
    One guess made by a mining computer in the effort of finding the correct answer which releases the next unit of cryptocurrency; see also hashrate.
  6. 6
    A new mixture of old material; a second preparation or exhibition; a rehashing.
  7. 7
    A hash run.
  8. 8
    A stupid fellow.

Etymology

From French hacher (“to chop”), from Middle French hacher, from Old French hacher, from Old French hache (“axe”), from Frankish *happjā (“axe”). Compare also Old English ġehæċċa (“sausage meat”, literally “that which is hacked or chopped up”).

This word in other languages

picadillo(Español)hachis(Français)Gehacktes(Deutsch)cardinal(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ahsh,hahs,hashh,hassh,hhash

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of hash - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

ahsh2hahs2hashh1hassh1hhash1
Edit distance from "hash"

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 "hash"?
"hash" is spelled H-A-S-H. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈhæʃ/.
What does "hash" mean?
As a noun, "hash" means: Food, especially meat and potatoes, chopped and mixed together.
What words are commonly confused with "hash"?
"hash" is commonly confused with "HH", "his", "hat". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "hash"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "hash" is /ˈhæʃ/. 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 "hash"?
From French hacher (“to chop”), from Middle French hacher, from Old French hacher, from Old French hache (“axe”), from Frankish *happjā (“axe”). Compare also Old English ġehæċċa (“sausage meat”, literally “that which is hacked or chopped up”). 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.

Using “hash”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is H-A-S-H - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈhæʃ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “HH” - see the side-by-side comparison. hash vs HH
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list