hessian
/ˈhɛʃən/noun
hessian is spelled H-E-S-S-I-A-N: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 49,368th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, hessian means “A strong, coarse fabric made from hemp or jute, often used for making sacks” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of hessian is hessians.
How many letters and syllables are in hessian?
| Letters | 7: H-E-S-S-I-A-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 3 million words; the 49,368th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is hessian?
Hessian appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 49,368th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce hessian?
- UK /ˈhɛsiən/
- US /ˈhɛʃən/
Hessian has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Wodencafe-hessian.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with hessian?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as hessian from its last stressed vowel (/ɛʃən/):
- session
- profession
- aggression
- obsession
- progression
- compression
- oppression
- suppression
- concession
- regression
- accession
- digression
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of hessian
- hessians plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does hessian mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
UKA strong, coarse fabric made from hemp or jute, often used for making sacks.
adjective
- 1
Of, from or relating to the state of Hesse, Germany.
- 2
Of or relating to the German mathematician Otto Hesse (1811–1874).
Hessian line; Hessian point; Hessian matrix
noun
- 1
A native or inhabitant of the state of Hesse, Germany.
- 2
A mercenary soldier, especially a German one who fought with the British in the American Revolutionary War.
- 3
Ellipsis of Hessian boot.
- 4
UKEllipsis of Hessian cloth or Hessian fabric (“burlap, jute”).
- 5
Ellipsis of Hessian matrix.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Hessian in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does hessian come from?
See Hessian. Attributed to the historic use of the fabric as part of the uniform of soldiers from the former Landgraviate of Hesse and its successors, who were called Hessians.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).