Hib

/hɪb/

//hɪb// noun

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

"hib" is a 3-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“Hib” is uncommon English (frequency #91,605 among 23,837 “H” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#91,605
frequency rank, English
23,837
“H” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Haemophilus influenzae, serotype b: a particular type of bacterium responsible for pneumonia, meningitis, and other diseases.

Key facts for Hib
PropertyValue
HeadwordHib
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/hɪb/
Letters3
Frequency rank#91,605
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Hib” 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). Hib lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

Hib is uncommon English at frequency #91,605 among 23,837 “H” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /hɪb/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Haemophilus influenzae, serotype b: a particular type of bacterium responsible for pneumonia, meningitis, and other diseases.".

No misspelling variants are generated for Hib in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: Acronym of Haemophilus influenzae b. The correct English form is Hib, spelled H-I-B.

Definition

  1. 1
    Haemophilus influenzae, serotype b: a particular type of bacterium responsible for pneumonia, meningitis, and other diseases.

Etymology

Acronym of Haemophilus influenzae b.

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 "Hib"?
"Hib" is spelled H-I-B. The IPA pronunciation is /hɪb/.
What does "Hib" mean?
As a noun, "Hib" means: Haemophilus influenzae, serotype b: a particular type of bacterium responsible for pneumonia, meningitis, and other diseases.
How do you pronounce "Hib"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Hib" is /hɪb/. 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 "Hib"?
Acronym of Haemophilus influenzae b. 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 “Hib”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is H-I-B - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /hɪb/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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