# help

> English word · Noun · IPA /hɛlp/ · frequency rank #171

## Definitions
1. Action given to provide assistance; aid.
2. Something or someone which provides assistance with a task.
3. Documentation provided with computer software that could be accessed using the computer.
4. A study aid.
5. One or more people employed to help in the maintenance of a house or the operation of a farm or enterprise.
6. Correction of deficits, as by psychological counseling or medication or social support or remedial training.

## Etymology
From Middle English help, from Old English help (“help, aid, assistance, relief”), from Proto-Germanic *helpō (“help”), *hilpiz, *hulpiz, from Proto-Indo-European *ḱelb-, *ḱelp- (“to help”).
Cognate with Saterland Frisian Hälpe (“help”), West Frisian help (“help”), Cimbrian hölfe (“help”), Dutch hulp (“help”), German Hilfe (“help, aid, assistance”), Luxembourgish Hëllef (“help”), Mòcheno hilf (“help”), Vilamovian hyłf (“help”), Yiddish הילף (hilf, “help”), Danish hjælp (“help”), Faroese, Icelandic hjálp (“help”), Norwegian Bokmål hjelp (“help”), Norwegian Nynorsk hjelp, hjølp (“help”), Swedish hjälp (“help”).

## Easily confused with
- **HP** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/help-vs-hp)
- **her** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/help-vs-her)
- **hey** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/help-vs-hey)
- **hip** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/help-vs-hip)
- **hop** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/help-vs-hop)
- **hes** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/help-vs-hes)
- **hen** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/help-vs-hen)
- **hem** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/help-vs-hem)
- **het** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/help-vs-het)
- **hep** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/help-vs-hep)
- **hew** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/help-vs-hew)
- **here** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/help-vs-here)
- **hold** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/help-vs-hold)
- **holy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/help-vs-holy)
- **hill** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/help-vs-hill)
- **HTTP** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/help-vs-http)
- **hero** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/help-vs-hero)
- **hole** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/help-vs-hole)
- **hull** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/help-vs-hull)
- **hers** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/help-vs-hers)

## Common misspellings (6)
`ehlp`, `hellp`, `helpp`, `hepl`, `hhelp`, `hlep`

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