hilt

/hɪlt/

//hɪlt// noun

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

"hilt" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“hilt” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #32,844 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#32,844
frequency rank, English
4
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The handle of a sword, consisting of grip, guard, and pommel, designed to facilitate use of the blade and afford protection to the hand.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

hilt vs his
50% similar
hilt vs him
50% similar
hilt vs hit
75% similar

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

Key facts for hilt
PropertyValue
Headwordhilt
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/hɪlt/
Letters4
Frequency rank#32,844
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “hilt” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for hilt is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /hɪlt/. Corpus data places it at rank #32,844 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for hilt, with forms such as "hhilt", "hillt", and "hiltt". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "his", "him", "hit", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English hilt, hilte, from Old English hilt, hilte, from Proto-Germanic *heltą, *heltǭ, *heltō, *hiltijō, (compare Old Norse hjalt, Old High German helza, Old Saxon helta), from Proto-Indo-European *kel- (“to strike, cut”) (see holt). The correct English form is hilt, spelled H-I-L-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    The handle of a sword, consisting of grip, guard, and pommel, designed to facilitate use of the blade and afford protection to the hand.
  2. 2
    The base of the penis.

Etymology

From Middle English hilt, hilte, from Old English hilt, hilte, from Proto-Germanic *heltą, *heltǭ, *heltō, *hiltijō, (compare Old Norse hjalt, Old High German helza, Old Saxon helta), from Proto-Indo-European *kel- (“to strike, cut”) (see holt).

This word in other languages

empuñadura(Español)poignée(Français)Griff(Deutsch)cabo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: hhilt,hillt,hiltt,hitl,hlit,ihlt

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

hhilt1hillt1hiltt1hitl2hlit2ihlt2
Edit distance from "hilt"

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 "hilt"?
"hilt" is spelled H-I-L-T. The IPA pronunciation is /hɪlt/.
What does "hilt" mean?
As a noun, "hilt" means: The handle of a sword, consisting of grip, guard, and pommel, designed to facilitate use of the blade and afford protection to the hand.
What words are commonly confused with "hilt"?
"hilt" is commonly confused with "his", "him", "hit". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "hilt"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "hilt" is /hɪlt/. 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 "hilt"?
From Middle English hilt, hilte, from Old English hilt, hilte, from Proto-Germanic *heltą, *heltǭ, *heltō, *hiltijō, (compare Old Norse hjalt, Old High German helza, Old Saxon helta), from Proto-Indo-European *kel- (“to strike, cut”) (see holt). 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.

Using “hilt”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is H-I-L-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /hɪlt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “his” - see the side-by-side comparison. hilt vs his
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list