hold

/həʊld/

//həʊld// verb

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

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

The verdict

“hold” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #655 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#655
frequency rank, English
4
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To grasp or grip.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

hold vs how
50% similar
hold vs hot
50% similar
hold vs hop
50% similar

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

Key facts for hold
PropertyValue
Headwordhold
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/həʊld/
Letters4
Frequency rank#655
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “hold” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for hold is 4 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /həʊld/. Corpus data places it at rank #655 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 24 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for hold, with forms such as "hhold", "hlod", and "hodl". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "how", "hot", "hop", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Derived from Middle English holden, derived from Old English healdan, derived from Proto-West Germanic *haldan, derived from Proto-Germanic *haldaną (“to tend, herd”), maybe derived from Proto-Indo-European *kel- (“to drive”). Doublet of halt. Cognates *Wes… The correct English form is hold, spelled H-O-L-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    To grasp or grip.
  2. 2
    To contain or store.
  3. 3
    To maintain or keep to a position or state.
  4. 4
    To maintain or keep to a position or state.
  5. 5
    To maintain or keep to a position or state.
  6. 6
    To maintain or keep to a position or state.
  7. 7
    To maintain or keep to a position or state.
  8. 8
    To maintain or keep to a position or state.
  9. 9
    To maintain or keep to a position or state.
  10. 10
    To maintain or keep to a position or state.
  11. 11
    To maintain or keep to a position or state.
  12. 12
    To maintain or keep to a position or state.
  13. 13
    To maintain or keep to a position or state.
  14. 14
    To maintain or keep to particular opinions, promises, actions.
  15. 15
    To maintain or keep to particular opinions, promises, actions.
  16. 16
    To maintain or keep to particular opinions, promises, actions.
  17. 17
    To maintain or keep to particular opinions, promises, actions.
  18. 18
    To maintain or keep to particular opinions, promises, actions.
  19. 19
    To win one's own service game.
  20. 20
    To take place, to occur.
  21. 21
    To organise an event or meeting (usually in passive voice).
  22. 22
    To derive right or title.
  23. 23
    In a food or drink order at an informal restaurant etc., requesting that a component normally included in that order be omitted.
  24. 24
    To be in possession of illicit drugs for sale.

Etymology

Derived from Middle English holden, derived from Old English healdan, derived from Proto-West Germanic *haldan, derived from Proto-Germanic *haldaną (“to tend, herd”), maybe derived from Proto-Indo-European *kel- (“to drive”). Doublet of halt. Cognates *West Frisian hâlde *Low German holden, holen *Dutch houden *German halten *Danish *Norwegian Bokmål holde *Norwegian Nynorsk halda. Compare Latin celer (“quick”), Tocharian B käl- (“to goad, drive”), Ancient Greek κέλλω (kéllō, “to drive”), Sanskrit कलयति (kalayati, “to impel”).

Synonyms

ownhappen

Antonyms

release

This word in other languages

aguantar(Español)tenir(Français)halten(Deutsch)segurar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: hhold,hlod,hodl,holdd,holld,ohld

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

hhold1hlod2hodl2holdd1holld1ohld2
Edit distance from "hold"

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 "hold"?
"hold" is spelled H-O-L-D. The IPA pronunciation is /həʊld/.
What does "hold" mean?
As a verb, "hold" means: To grasp or grip.
What words are commonly confused with "hold"?
"hold" is commonly confused with "how", "hot", "hop". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "hold"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "hold" is /həʊld/. 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 "hold"?
Derived from Middle English holden, derived from Old English healdan, derived from Proto-West Germanic *haldan, derived from Proto-Germanic *haldaną (“to tend, herd”), maybe derived from Proto-Indo-European *kel- (“to drive”). Doublet of halt. Cog... 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.

Using “hold”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is H-O-L-D - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /həʊld/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “how” - see the side-by-side comparison. hold vs how
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list