hinder

/ˈhɪndə/

//ˈhɪndə// verb

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

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

The verdict

“hinder” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #17,382. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#17,382
frequency rank, English
2,646
“H” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To make difficult to accomplish; to act as an obstacle; to frustrate.

Corpus desk

Index EN-hinder · hinder · English

hinder · rank #17,382 · 9 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #17,382
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,646
  • PHOTO-FINISH Hewitt

Nearest frequency peer: Hewitt (-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 “hinder”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “hinder” 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).

hinder vs Hindu
50% similar
hinder vs Hindi
50% similar
hinder vs hinge
67% similar

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

Key facts for hinder
PropertyValue
Headwordhinder
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈhɪndə/
Letters6
Frequency rank#17,382
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “hinder”

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

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “Hewitt” (#17,381), “hobbit” (#17,383), “heterosexual” (#17,380). Among 2,646 “H” headwords, “hinder” is #17,382. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around hinder (IPA /ˈhɪndə/), averb. Corpus frequency is #17,382 among 2,646 “H” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for hinder, with forms such as "hhinder", "hidner", and "hindder". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "Hindu", "Hindi", "hinge", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English hindren, from Old English hindrian, from Proto-Germanic *hindrōną, *hinderōną (“to hinder”), from Proto-Germanic *hinder (“back”) (adverb). Cognate with Dutch hinderen and German hindern, Latin contra (“back, against”). The correct English form is hinder, spelled H-I-N-D-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    To make difficult to accomplish; to act as an obstacle; to frustrate.
  2. 2
    To delay or impede; to keep back, to prevent.
  3. 3
    To cause harm.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. A drought hinders the growth of plants.
  2. We doubt not of a faire and luckie Warre, / Since God ſo graciouſly hath brought to light / This dangerous Treaſon, lurking in our way, / To hinder our beginnings.

Etymology

From Middle English hindren, from Old English hindrian, from Proto-Germanic *hindrōną, *hinderōną (“to hinder”), from Proto-Germanic *hinder (“back”) (adverb). Cognate with Dutch hinderen and German hindern, Latin contra (“back, against”).

Synonyms

behedgebluntdelaydifficultdiminishforestayinterfereinterveneforslowfrustrateget in the wayhamperhandicaphinderhold uphurtimpairimpedeincommodelessenletmarobstructoverslaughprecludeprevenepreventprohibitreducerestrictretardslow downstaystymiethwartthwartenumbesetundermineweakenworsen

Antonyms

abetassistexpeditefacilitatefurtherhelphurdlenurture

This word in other languages

impedir(Español)entraver(Français)erschweren(Deutsch)impedir(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • hhinder
  • hidner
  • hindder
  • hinderr
  • hindre
  • hinedr
  • hinnder
  • hnider
  • ihnder

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

hhinder1hidner2hindder1hinderr1hindre2hinedr2hinnder1hnider2
Edit distance from "hinder"

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 "hinder"?
"hinder" is spelled H-I-N-D-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈhɪndə/.
What does "hinder" mean?
As a verb, "hinder" means: To make difficult to accomplish; to act as an obstacle; to frustrate.
What words are commonly confused with "hinder"?
"hinder" is commonly confused with "Hindu", "Hindi", "hinge". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "hinder"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "hinder" is /ˈhɪndə/. 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 "hinder"?
From Middle English hindren, from Old English hindrian, from Proto-Germanic *hindrōną, *hinderōną (“to hinder”), from Proto-Germanic *hinder (“back”) (adverb). Cognate with Dutch hinderen and German hindern, Latin contra (“back, against”). 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 "hinder", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Hewitt#17,381hobbit#17,383Hayley#17,377gritty#17,375

Similar misspelling depth

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

gloomy9 variantsfreaky9 variantsmagnum9 variantsMartian9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list