# hike

> English word · Noun · IPA /haɪk/ · frequency rank #7,696

## Definitions
1. A long walk, usually for pleasure or exercise.
2. An abrupt increase.
3. The snap of the ball to start a play.
4. A sharp upward tug to raise something.

## Etymology
From English dialectal hyke (“to walk vigorously”), probably a Northern form of hitch, from Middle English hytchen, hichen, icchen (“to move, jerk, stir”). Cognate with Scots hyke (“to move with a jerk”), dialectal German hicken (“to hobble, walk with a limp”), Danish hinke (“to hop”).

## Easily confused with
- **HK** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hike-vs-hk)
- **his** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hike-vs-his)
- **him** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hike-vs-him)
- **hit** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hike-vs-hit)
- **hip** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hike-vs-hip)
- **HIV** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hike-vs-hiv)
- **hue** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hike-vs-hue)
- **hoe** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hike-vs-hoe)
- **hye** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hike-vs-hye)
- **hse** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hike-vs-hse)
- **hin** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hike-vs-hin)
- **home** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hike-vs-home)
- **hope** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hike-vs-hope)
- **huge** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hike-vs-huge)
- **hill** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hike-vs-hill)
- **hole** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hike-vs-hole)
- **hits** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hike-vs-hits)
- **hire** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hike-vs-hire)
- **hint** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hike-vs-hint)
- **hype** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hike-vs-hype)

## Common misspellings (5)
`hhike`, `hiek`, `hikke`, `hkie`, `ihke`

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