hitch

/hɪt͡ʃ/

//hɪt͡ʃ// noun

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

"hitch" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“hitch” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #16,727. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#16,727
frequency rank, English
2,646
“H” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
12
confusable pairs

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

Corpus desk

Index EN-hitch · hitch · English

hitch · rank #16,727 · 8 variants · 12 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #16,727
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-MID 12 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,646
  • PHOTO-FINISH hemp

Nearest frequency peer: hemp (-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 “hitch”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “hitch” 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).

hitch vs hits
60% similar
hitch vs hunch
60% similar
hitch vs hutch
80% similar

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

Key facts for hitch
PropertyValue
Headwordhitch
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/hɪt͡ʃ/
Letters5
Frequency rank#16,727
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs12
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “hitch”

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

#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. Same rarity band neighbours include “hemp” (#16,726), “helium” (#16,725), “Hutchinson” (#16,729). Among 2,646 “H” headwords, “hitch” is #16,727. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around hitch (IPA /hɪt͡ʃ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #16,727 among 2,646 “H” headwords. Wiktionary lists 8 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for hitch, with forms such as "hhitch", "hicth", and "hitcch". 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 12 confusable-pair relationships, "hits", "hunch", "hutch", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Probably from Middle English hicchen, hytchen, icchen (“to move; to move as with a jerk”), of obscure origin. Lacks cognates in other languages. Compare itch, hike. The correct English form is hitch, spelled H-I-T-C-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    A sudden pull.
  2. 2
    Any of various knots used to attach a rope to an object other than another rope.
  3. 3
    A fastener or connection point, as for a trailer.
  4. 4
    A problem, delay or source of difficulty.
  5. 5
    A hidden or unfavorable condition or element.
  6. 6
    A period of time spent in the military.
  7. 7
    A large Californian minnow, Lavinia exilicauda.
  8. 8
    A hole cut into the wall of a mine on which timbers are rested.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. His truck sported a heavy-duty hitch for his boat.
  2. The banquet went off without a hitch

Etymology

Probably from Middle English hicchen, hytchen, icchen (“to move; to move as with a jerk”), of obscure origin. Lacks cognates in other languages. Compare itch, hike.

This word in other languages

inconveniente(Español)accroc(Français)Ruck(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • hhitch
  • hicth
  • hitcch
  • hitchh
  • hithc
  • hittch
  • htich
  • ihtch

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of hitch - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

hhitch1hicth2hitcch1hitchh1hithc2hittch1htich2ihtch2
Edit distance from "hitch"

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 "hitch"?
"hitch" is spelled H-I-T-C-H. The IPA pronunciation is /hɪt͡ʃ/.
What does "hitch" mean?
As a noun, "hitch" means: A sudden pull.
What words are commonly confused with "hitch"?
"hitch" is commonly confused with "hits", "hunch", "hutch". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "hitch"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "hitch" is /hɪt͡ʃ/. 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 "hitch"?
Probably from Middle English hicchen, hytchen, icchen (“to move; to move as with a jerk”), of obscure origin. Lacks cognates in other languages. Compare itch, hike. 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 "hitch", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

froze#16,716Fritz#16,715julio#16,739medic#16,748

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

helium8 variantsfacade8 variantsnoodle8 variantsnylon8 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list