hodgepodge
/ˈhɑd͡ʒˌpɑd͡ʒ/noun, verb
hodgepodge is spelled H-O-D-G-E-P-O-D-G-E: 10 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 4 million words in written English, the 60,838th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, hodgepodge means “A collection containing a variety of miscellaneous things” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of hodgepodge is hodgepodges.
How many letters and syllables are in hodgepodge?
| Letters | 10: H-O-D-G-E-P-O-D-G-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 4 million words; the 60,838th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is hodgepodge?
Hodgepodge appears about once in every 4 million words in written English, the 60,838th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce hodgepodge?
- UK /ˈhɒd͡ʒˌpɒd͡ʒ/
- US /ˈhɑd͡ʒˌpɑd͡ʒ/
Hodgepodge has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: ENUS-hodgepodge.ogg, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-hodgepodge.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Flame,_not_lame-hodgepodge.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of hodgepodge
- hodgepodges plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- hodge-podge
- hotchpotch
- hodgepodging participle, present
- hodgepodged participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does hodgepodge mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A collection containing a variety of miscellaneous things.
His latest sculpture is a hodgepodge of kitchen clutter and scrap glued together.
- 2
A confused mass of ingredients shaken or mixed together in the same pot.
verb
- 1
To move or position in an erratic, disorganized manner.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Hodgepodge in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense collection of miscellaneous things; a jumble:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | salmigondis, fatras |
| German | Sammelsurium, Mischmasch, Wust |
| Portuguese | miscelânea, mistureba, salgalhada |
| Spanish | mezcolanza, batiburrillo, gatuperio, fárrago, farrago, revoltijo |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does hodgepodge come from?
From Middle English hochepoche, a variation of hochepot, from Old French hochepot, from Middle Dutch hutspot (“beef or mutton cut into small pieces and mixed and boiled together in a pot”), from hotsen, hutsen (“to shake; jog; jolt”) + pot (“pot”), equivalent to hotch + pot. Compare German Low German Hüttspott (“hodgepodge”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).