hobble

/ˈhɒbəl/

//ˈhɒbəl// noun

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

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

The verdict

“hobble” is uncommon English (frequency #58,746 among 2,646 “H” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#58,746
frequency rank, English
2,646
“H” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - One of the short straps tied between the legs of unfenced horses, allowing them to wander short distances but preventing them from running off.

Corpus desk

Index EN-hobble · hobble · English

hobble · rank #58,746 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #58,746
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,646
  • PHOTO-FINISH hissy

Nearest frequency peer: hissy (-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 “hobble”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for hobble
PropertyValue
Headwordhobble
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈhɒbəl/
Letters6
Frequency rank#58,746
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “hobble” in English

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).hobblefalls in this rarity band:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “hissy” (#58,745), “Hershel” (#58,744), “honcho” (#58,748). Among 2,646 “H” headwords, “hobble” is #58,746. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

hobble is uncommon English at frequency #58,746 among 2,646 “H” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈhɒbəl/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for hobble, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English hobblen, hobelen, akin to Middle Dutch hoblen, hobbelen (Modern Dutch hobbelen). The correct English form is hobble, spelled H-O-B-B-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    One of the short straps tied between the legs of unfenced horses, allowing them to wander short distances but preventing them from running off.
  2. 2
    An unsteady, off-balance step.
  3. 3
    A difficult situation; a scrape.
  4. 4
    An odd job; a piece of casual work.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. We made it and we hobbled up the stairs. Or I hobbled. My sons didn't hobble, I hobbled.
  2. "Saddle a horse—any horse—only let him be sure and fleet," cried Ashwoode, "and I'll pay you his price thrice over!" "Well, it's a bargain," replied the groom, promptly; "I don't like to see a gentleman caught in a hobble, if I can help him out of it. […]

Etymology

From Middle English hobblen, hobelen, akin to Middle Dutch hoblen, hobbelen (Modern Dutch hobbelen).

Synonyms

tether

This word in other languages

manea(Español)entrave(Français)Fußfessel(Deutsch)

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 "hobble"?
"hobble" is spelled H-O-B-B-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈhɒbəl/.
What does "hobble" mean?
As a noun, "hobble" means: One of the short straps tied between the legs of unfenced horses, allowing them to wander short distances but preventing them from running off.
How do you pronounce "hobble"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "hobble" is /ˈhɒbəl/. 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 "hobble"?
From Middle English hobblen, hobelen, akin to Middle Dutch hoblen, hobbelen (Modern Dutch hobbelen). 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 "hobble", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

honcho#58,748humped#58,755goober#58,724Jacque#58,775

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list