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 2,646 “H” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#91,605
frequency rank, English
2,646
“H” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Haemophilus influenzae, serotype b: a particular type of bacterium responsible for pneumonia, meningitis, and other diseases.

Corpus desk

Index EN-hib · Hib · English

Hib · rank #91,605 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #91,605
  • LEN-MID 3 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,646
  • PHOTO-FINISH herstory

Nearest frequency peer: herstory (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “Hib”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “Hib” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for Hib
PropertyValue
HeadwordHib
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/hɪb/
Letters3
Frequency rank#91,605
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “Hib” in English

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

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “herstory” (#91,604), “hihi” (#91,606), “heigh” (#91,602). Among 2,646 “H” headwords, “Hib” is #91,605. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

Hib is uncommon English at frequency #91,605 among 2,646 “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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "Hib", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 3 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

gyp#91,584GCF#91,556jel#91,659kie#91,699

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list