hickey

/ˈhɪk.i/

//ˈhɪk.i// noun

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

"hickey" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“hickey” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #25,088. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#25,088
frequency rank, English
2,646
“H” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
14
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A bruise-like mark made during petting by pressing the mouth to the skin on one’s partner’s body and sucking.

Corpus desk

Index EN-hickey · hickey · English

hickey · rank #25,088 · 9 variants · 14 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #25,088
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 14 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,646
  • PHOTO-FINISH Hereford

Nearest frequency peer: Hereford (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “hickey”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “hickey” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

hickey vs hike
67% similar
hickey vs Hicks
50% similar
hickey vs hikes
67% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for hickey
PropertyValue
Headwordhickey
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈhɪk.i/
Letters6
Frequency rank#25,088
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs14
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “hickey”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).hickeylands here:

#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. Same rarity band neighbours include “Hereford” (#25,087), “hijack” (#25,089), “hectare” (#25,086). Among 2,646 “H” headwords, “hickey” is #25,088. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around hickey (IPA /ˈhɪk.i/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #25,088 among 2,646 “H” headwords. Wiktionary lists 8 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for hickey, with forms such as "hcikey", "hhickey", and "hicckey". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 14 confusable-pair relationships, "hike", "Hicks", "hikes", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Unknown. The correct English form is hickey, spelled H-I-C-K-E-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    A bruise-like mark made during petting by pressing the mouth to the skin on one’s partner’s body and sucking.
  2. 2
    A similar mark made by the pressure of a musical instrument such as a violin or viola against the neck.
  3. 3
    An object whose name is unknown or cannot be recalled.
  4. 4
    A printing defect caused by foreign matter on the printing surface resulting in a ring where the ink is missing, appearing as a spot of ink surrounded by a halo, or as an unprinted spot within a solid printed area.
  5. 5
    A serif or other ornamentation on type.
  6. 6
    Local swelling in a tissue area, especially skin, often due to injury.
  7. 7
    A tool for making smooth, semicircular bends in conduit and pipe.
  8. 8
    An unintended negative outcome or loss in regards to a deal or action.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how hickey appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. But Louis Vuitton bras all over your breasts / Got me wanting to put hickeys all over your chest
  2. When it comes to hickeys, the best I can tell you is that a lot of girls cover them with makeup or a turtleneck shirt. But let me close with a final thought. Never be ashamed of your hickeys. Show them off proudly as badges of love.

Etymology

Unknown.

This word in other languages

chupetón(Español)suçon(Français)Knutschfleck(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • hcikey
  • hhickey
  • hicckey
  • hiceky
  • hickeyy
  • hickkey
  • hickye
  • hikcey
  • ihckey

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of hickey - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

hcikey2hhickey1hicckey1hiceky2hickeyy1hickkey1hickye2hikcey2
Edit distance from "hickey"

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 "hickey"?
"hickey" is spelled H-I-C-K-E-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈhɪk.i/.
What does "hickey" mean?
As a noun, "hickey" means: A bruise-like mark made during petting by pressing the mouth to the skin on one’s partner’s body and sucking.
What words are commonly confused with "hickey"?
"hickey" is commonly confused with "hike", "Hicks", "hikes". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "hickey"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "hickey" is /ˈhɪk.i/. 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 "hickey"?
Unknown. 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 "hickey", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

hijack#25,089gurney#25,081gundam#25,080groovy#25,078

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

Horatio9 variantsGraces9 variantsglimmer9 variantsfrugal9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list