holster

/ˈhɒlstə(ɹ)/

//ˈhɒlstə(ɹ)// noun

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

"holster" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“holster” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #26,463. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#26,463
frequency rank, English
2,646
“H” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
14
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A case for carrying a tool, particularly a gun, safely and accessibly.

Corpus desk

Index EN-holster · holster · English

holster · rank #26,463 · 11 variants · 14 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #26,463
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 14 pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,646
  • PHOTO-FINISH hola

Nearest frequency peer: hola (-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 “holster”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “holster” 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).

holster vs hosted
71% similar
holster vs hotter
71% similar
holster vs hostel
71% similar

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

Key facts for holster
PropertyValue
Headwordholster
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈhɒlstə(ɹ)/
Letters7
Frequency rank#26,463
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs14
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “holster”

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

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “hola” (#26,462), “horseman” (#26,464), “hinged” (#26,461). Among 2,646 “H” headwords, “holster” is #26,463. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around holster (IPA /ˈhɒlstə(ɹ)/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #26,463 among 2,646 “H” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for holster, with forms such as "hholster", "hloster", and "hollster". 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 14 confusable-pair relationships, "hosted", "hotter", "hostel", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Dutch holster (“pistol-case, holster”), from Middle Low German holster, from Old Saxon *holster, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *hulastrą, *hulistrą (“hull, case, covering”). Cognate with Old English heolstor (“a covering, veil, hiding-place”), Danish … The correct English form is holster, spelled H-O-L-S-T-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A case for carrying a tool, particularly a gun, safely and accessibly.
  2. 2
    A belt with loops or slots for carrying small tools or other equipment.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Goring, like himself, had sprang forwards, first snatching a pistol from his holsters, and discharging it at him who seemed to be the chief of the party,—the man reeled and fell; but his fall was instantly avenged.
  2. Marion Wheeler took the seat, brushing the hem of her suit jacket aside to reveal a concealed holster. "You do know I carry a gun?"

Etymology

From Dutch holster (“pistol-case, holster”), from Middle Low German holster, from Old Saxon *holster, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *hulastrą, *hulistrą (“hull, case, covering”). Cognate with Old English heolstor (“a covering, veil, hiding-place”), Danish hylster (“pistol case, envelope”), Icelandic hulstur (“sheath”), Gothic 𐌷𐌿𐌻𐌹𐍃𐍄𐍂 (hulistr, “covering”). Compare German Halfter (“pistol case”). Related to hull, hele.

This word in other languages

tahalí(Español)holster(Français)Holster(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • hholster
  • hloster
  • hollster
  • holsetr
  • holsster
  • holsterr
  • holstre
  • holstter
  • holtser
  • hoslter
  • ohlster

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of holster - 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.

hholster1hloster2hollster1holsetr2holsster1holsterr1holstre2holstter1
Edit distance from "holster"

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 "holster"?
"holster" is spelled H-O-L-S-T-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈhɒlstə(ɹ)/.
What does "holster" mean?
As a noun, "holster" means: A case for carrying a tool, particularly a gun, safely and accessibly.
What words are commonly confused with "holster"?
"holster" is commonly confused with "hosted", "hotter", "hostel". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "holster"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "holster" is /ˈhɒlstə(ɹ)/. 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 "holster"?
From Dutch holster (“pistol-case, holster”), from Middle Low German holster, from Old Saxon *holster, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *hulastrą, *hulistrą (“hull, case, covering”). Cognate with Old English heolstor (“a covering, veil, hiding-place”... 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 "holster", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

heiress#26,456handset#26,453gymnast#26,449Gonzalo#26,443

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

hairline11 variantslandfall11 variantsflexing11 variantscompress11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list