hillock

/ˈhɪl.ək/

//ˈhɪl.ək// noun

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

"hillock" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“hillock” is uncommon English (frequency #58,076 among 2,646 “H” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#58,076
frequency rank, English
2,646
“H” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A small hill.

Corpus desk

Index EN-hillock · hillock · English

hillock · rank #58,076 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #58,076
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,646
  • PHOTO-FINISH highbrow

Nearest frequency peer: highbrow (-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 “hillock”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for hillock
PropertyValue
Headwordhillock
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈhɪl.ək/
Letters7
Frequency rank#58,076
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “hillock” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).hillockfalls 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: “highbrow” (#58,075), “Hime” (#58,077), “hexadecimal” (#58,074). Among 2,646 “H” headwords, “hillock” is #58,076. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

hillock is uncommon English at frequency #58,076 among 2,646 “H” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈhɪl.ək/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A small hill.".

No misspelling variants are generated for hillock in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English hillok, equivalent to hill + -ock. The correct English form is hillock, spelled H-I-L-L-O-C-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    A small hill.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. As he rounded a hillock, he perceived that the roadway was now a crying mass of wagons, teams, and men.
  2. With the setting sun sending long shadows loping ahead of them over the smooth hillocks of the downs, they came up with the lagoon; a contentful return home, with appetite brisked up by a ten-mile walk, and plenty of food to satisfy it.

Etymology

From Middle English hillok, equivalent to hill + -ock.

Synonyms

collinetoman

This word in other languages

collado(Español)monticule(Français)colina(Português)

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 "hillock"?
"hillock" is spelled H-I-L-L-O-C-K. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈhɪl.ək/.
What does "hillock" mean?
As a noun, "hillock" means: A small hill.
How do you pronounce "hillock"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "hillock" is /ˈhɪl.ək/. 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 "hillock"?
From Middle English hillok, equivalent to hill + -ock. 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 "hillock", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

ganging#58,043fresnel#58,037ferrier#58,021latakia#58,144

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list