hoodwink

/ˈhʊdwɪŋk/

//ˈhʊdwɪŋk// verb

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

"hoodwink" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“hoodwink” is uncommon English (frequency #99,372 among 2,646 “H” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#99,372
frequency rank, English
2,646
“H” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To cover the eyes with, or as if with, a hood; to blindfold.

Corpus desk

Index EN-hoodwink · hoodwink · English

hoodwink · rank #99,372 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #99,372
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,646
  • PHOTO-FINISH Hooghly

Nearest frequency peer: Hooghly (+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 “hoodwink”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for hoodwink
PropertyValue
Headwordhoodwink
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈhʊdwɪŋk/
Letters8
Frequency rank#99,372
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “hoodwink” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).hoodwinkfalls in this rarity band:

#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. Rare peers in the same band: “Hooghly” (#99,373), “hookahs” (#99,374), “homoeopathic” (#99,369). Among 2,646 “H” headwords, “hoodwink” is #99,372. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

hoodwink is uncommon English at frequency #99,372 among 2,646 “H” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ˈhʊdwɪŋk/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for hoodwink, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: The verb is derived from hood (“head covering attached to a larger garment such as a jacket or cloak”) + wink (“to close one’s eyes”). (< C16 'to blindfold'). The noun is derived from the verb. The correct English form is hoodwink, spelled H-O-O-D-W-I-N-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    To cover the eyes with, or as if with, a hood; to blindfold.
  2. 2
    To deceive using a disguise; to bewile, dupe, mislead.
  3. 3
    To hide or obscure.
  4. 4
    To close the eyes.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Some there are, that through feare anticipate the hang-mans hand; as he did, whoſe friends having obtained his pardon, and putting away the cloth wherewith he was hood-winkt, that he might heare it read, was found ſtarke dead vpon the ſcaffold, wounded onely by the ſtroke of imagination.
  2. It is the cuſtome of theſe maydes when they walke in the ſtreetes, to couer their faces with their vailes verecundiæ cauſâ [because of modesty], the ſtuffe being ſo thin and ſlight, that they may eaſily looke through it. For it is made of a pretty ſlender ſilke, and very finely curled: ſo that becauſe ſhe thus hoodwinketh her ſelfe, you can very ſeldome ſ…

Etymology

The verb is derived from hood (“head covering attached to a larger garment such as a jacket or cloak”) + wink (“to close one’s eyes”). (< C16 'to blindfold'). The noun is derived from the verb.

This word in other languages

dársela con queso(Español)avoir(Français)übers Ohr hauen(Deutsch)blefar(Português)

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 "hoodwink"?
"hoodwink" is spelled H-O-O-D-W-I-N-K. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈhʊdwɪŋk/.
What does "hoodwink" mean?
As a verb, "hoodwink" means: To cover the eyes with, or as if with, a hood; to blindfold.
How do you pronounce "hoodwink"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "hoodwink" is /ˈhʊdwɪŋk/. 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 "hoodwink"?
The verb is derived from hood (“head covering attached to a larger garment such as a jacket or cloak”) + wink (“to close one’s eyes”). (< C16 'to blindfold'). The noun is derived from the verb. 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 "hoodwink", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Hobson's#99,364huggable#99,382heatedly#99,350Jeroboam#99,426

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list