hirn

/ˈhɜːn/

//ˈhɜːn// noun

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

The verdict

“hirn” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
4
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Corner; nook; hiding-place.

Corpus desk

Index EN-hirn · hirn · English

hirn · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "H" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for hirn
PropertyValue
Headwordhirn
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈhɜːn/
Letters4
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “hirn” sits in English frequency

hirnsits beyond the 100,000 most-frequent English words, in the long tail of technical, archaic, or otherwise rare vocabulary where spelling doubt tends to strike hardest.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

hirn is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈhɜːn/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Corner; nook; hiding-place.".

Zero misspellings are on record for hirn in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English hirne, herne, from Old English hyrne (“horn, corner, angle”), from Proto-West Germanic *hurnijā, from Proto-Germanic *hurnijǭ (“horn, corner, angle”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱerh₂-. Proto-Germanic *hurnijǭ is a diminutive form of *hur… The correct English form is hirn, spelled H-I-R-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Corner; nook; hiding-place.

Etymology

From Middle English hirne, herne, from Old English hyrne (“horn, corner, angle”), from Proto-West Germanic *hurnijā, from Proto-Germanic *hurnijǭ (“horn, corner, angle”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱerh₂-. Proto-Germanic *hurnijǭ is a diminutive form of *hurną, from which comes English horn. Doublet of hern.

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "hirn"?
"hirn" is spelled H-I-R-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈhɜːn/.
What does "hirn" mean?
As a noun, "hirn" means: Corner; nook; hiding-place.
How do you pronounce "hirn"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "hirn" is /ˈhɜːn/. 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 "hirn"?
From Middle English hirne, herne, from Old English hyrne (“horn, corner, angle”), from Proto-West Germanic *hurnijā, from Proto-Germanic *hurnijǭ (“horn, corner, angle”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱerh₂-. Proto-Germanic *hurnijǭ is a diminutive fo... 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.

What to do next

You've looked up "hirn". Here's where to go from here.

  • Browse more English words in the "H" letter cohort. H–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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