# hiccup

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈhɪkʌp/ · frequency rank #32,436

## Definitions
1. A spasm of the diaphragm, or the resulting sound.
2. A spasm of the diaphragm, or the resulting sound.
3. Any spasm or sudden change.
4. A minor obstacle or setback.

## Etymology
From earlier hickop, alteration of earlier hicket, hyckock, from hic (onomatopoeic) + -ock (diminutive suffix).
Akin to Scots hick, hix (“hiccup”), West Frisian hik (“hiccup”), Dutch hik (“hiccup”), Middle Low German hükup, huckup, hueckup (modern Low German hick (“hiccup”)), German hicksen (“to hiccup”, verb), Alemannic German Hidsgi (“hiccup”), Danish hikke (“hiccup”), Swedish hicka (“hiccup”), hicka (“to hiccup”, verb), Icelandic hiksti (“hiccup”).
Displaced yex, from Middle English yexen, ȝisken, ȝixen, ȝoxen (“to hiccup”), from Old English ġiscian, ġeocsian (“to hiccup”).

## Easily confused with
- **hiccups** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hiccup-vs-hiccups)

## Common misspellings (7)
`hcicup`, `hhiccup`, `hiccpu`, `hiccupp`, `hicucp`, `hicup`, `ihccup`

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