hatch

/hæt͡ʃ/

//hæt͡ʃ// noun

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

"hatch" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“hatch” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #9,343 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#9,343
frequency rank, English
5
letters
8
tracked misspellings
18
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A horizontal door in a floor or ceiling.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

hatch vs hate
60% similar
hatch vs hats
60% similar
hatch vs hath
80% similar

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

Key facts for hatch
PropertyValue
Headwordhatch
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/hæt͡ʃ/
Letters5
Frequency rank#9,343
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs18
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “hatch” 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). hatch 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 hatch is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /hæt͡ʃ/. Corpus data places it at rank #9,343 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 10 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for hatch, with forms such as "ahtch", "hacth", and "hatcch". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 18 confusable-pair relationships, "hate", "hats", "hath", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English hacche, hache, from Old English hæċ, from Proto-West Germanic *hakkju (compare Dutch hek ‘gate, railing’, Low German Heck ‘pasture gate, farmyard gate’), variant of *haggju ‘hedge’. More at hedge. The correct English form is hatch, spelled H-A-T-C-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    A horizontal door in a floor or ceiling.
  2. 2
    A trapdoor.
  3. 3
    An opening in a wall at window height for the purpose of serving food or other items. A pass through.
  4. 4
    A small door in large mechanical structures and vehicles such as aircraft and spacecraft often provided for access for maintenance.
  5. 5
    An opening through the deck of a ship or submarine
  6. 6
    A gullet.
  7. 7
    A frame or weir in a river, for catching fish.
  8. 8
    A floodgate; a sluice gate.
  9. 9
    A bedstead.
  10. 10
    An opening into, or in search of, a mine.

Etymology

From Middle English hacche, hache, from Old English hæċ, from Proto-West Germanic *hakkju (compare Dutch hek ‘gate, railing’, Low German Heck ‘pasture gate, farmyard gate’), variant of *haggju ‘hedge’. More at hedge.

This word in other languages

escotilla(Español)trappe(Français)Luke(Deutsch)escotilha(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ahtch,hacth,hatcch,hatchh,hathc,hattch,hhatch,htach

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ahtch2hacth2hatcch1hatchh1hathc2hattch1hhatch1htach2
Edit distance from "hatch"

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 "hatch"?
"hatch" is spelled H-A-T-C-H. The IPA pronunciation is /hæt͡ʃ/.
What does "hatch" mean?
As a noun, "hatch" means: A horizontal door in a floor or ceiling.
What words are commonly confused with "hatch"?
"hatch" is commonly confused with "hate", "hats", "hath". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "hatch"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "hatch" is /hæt͡ʃ/. 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 "hatch"?
From Middle English hacche, hache, from Old English hæċ, from Proto-West Germanic *hakkju (compare Dutch hek ‘gate, railing’, Low German Heck ‘pasture gate, farmyard gate’), variant of *haggju ‘hedge’. More at hedge. 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 “hatch”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is H-A-T-C-H - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /hæt͡ʃ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “hate” - see the side-by-side comparison. hatch vs hate
  • 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