hook

/hʊk/

//hʊk// noun

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

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

The verdict

“hook” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #3,816 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#3,816
frequency rank, English
4
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A rod bent into a curved shape, typically with one end free and the other end secured to a rope or other attachment.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

hook vs how
50% similar
hook vs hot
50% similar
hook vs hop
50% similar

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

Key facts for hook
PropertyValue
Headwordhook
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/hʊk/
Letters4
Frequency rank#3,816
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “hook” 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). hook 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 hook is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /hʊk/. Corpus data places it at rank #3,816 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 37 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for hook, with forms such as "hhook", "hok", and "hoko". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "how", "hot", "hop", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English hoke, from Old English hōc (“angle, point, hook”), from Proto-West Germanic *hōk, from Proto-Germanic *hōkaz, variant of *hakô (“hook”), probably ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kog-, *keg-, *keng- (“peg, hook, claw”). Cognates Cogn… The correct English form is hook, spelled H-O-O-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    A rod bent into a curved shape, typically with one end free and the other end secured to a rope or other attachment.
  2. 2
    A barbed metal hook used for fishing; a fishhook.
  3. 3
    Any of various hook-shaped agricultural implements such as a billhook.
  4. 4
    The curved needle used in the art of crochet.
  5. 5
    The part of a hinge which is fixed to a post, and on which a door or gate hangs and turns.
  6. 6
    A loop shaped like a hook under certain written letters, for example, g and j.
  7. 7
    A tie-in to a current event or trend that makes a news story or editorial relevant and timely.
  8. 8
    A snare; a trap.
  9. 9
    An advantageous hold.
  10. 10
    The projecting points of the thighbones of cattle; called also hook bones.
  11. 11
    Removal or expulsion from a group or activity.
  12. 12
    A field sown two years in succession.
  13. 13
    A grasp (of), an attachment (to).
  14. 14
    A brief, punchy opening statement intended to get attention from an audience, reader, or viewer, and make them want to continue to listen to a speech, read a book, or watch a play.
  15. 15
    A gimmick or element of a creative work intended to be attention-grabbing for the audience; a compelling idea for a story that will be sure to attract people's attention.
  16. 16
    A finesse.
  17. 17
    A jack (the playing card).
  18. 18
    A sharp bend or angle in the course or length of an object (e.g. a bend in a river, etc.).
  19. 19
    A spit or narrow cape of sand or gravel turned landward at the outer end, such as Sandy Hook in New Jersey.
  20. 20
    A catchy musical phrase which forms the basis of a popular song.
  21. 21
    A ship's anchor.
  22. 22
    Part of a system's operation that can be intercepted to change or augment its behaviour.
  23. 23
    An instance of playing a word perpendicular to a word already on the board, adding a letter to the start or the end of the word to form a new word.
  24. 24
    A diacritical mark shaped like the upper part of a question mark, as in ỏ.
  25. 25
    A háček.
  26. 26
    Senses relating to sports.
  27. 27
    Senses relating to sports.
  28. 28
    Senses relating to sports.
  29. 29
    Senses relating to sports.
  30. 30
    Senses relating to sports.
  31. 31
    Senses relating to sports.
  32. 32
    Senses relating to sports.
  33. 33
    Any of the chevrons denoting rank.
  34. 34
    A prostitute.
  35. 35
    A pickpocket.
  36. 36
    Synonym of shoulder (“the part of a wave that has not yet broken”).
  37. 37
    A knee-shaped wooden join connecting the keel to the stem (post forming the frontmost part of the bow) or the sternpost in cog-like vessels or similar vessels.

Etymology

From Middle English hoke, from Old English hōc (“angle, point, hook”), from Proto-West Germanic *hōk, from Proto-Germanic *hōkaz, variant of *hakô (“hook”), probably ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kog-, *keg-, *keng- (“peg, hook, claw”). Cognates Cognate with Scots huke, huik (“hook”), West Frisian and Dutch hoek (“hook, angle, corner”), Low German Hook, Huuk, German Hook (“small cluster of farms”), Faroese høkja (“crutch”), Icelandic hækja (“crutch”), Norn hek (“crutch”), Finnish kuokka (“hoe, mattock”). Related to hake.

This word in other languages

gancho(Español)crochet(Français)Haken(Deutsch)gancho(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: hhook,hok,hoko,hookk,ohok

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

hhook1hok1hoko2hookk1ohok2
Edit distance from "hook"

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 "hook"?
"hook" is spelled H-O-O-K. The IPA pronunciation is /hʊk/.
What does "hook" mean?
As a noun, "hook" means: A rod bent into a curved shape, typically with one end free and the other end secured to a rope or other attachment.
What words are commonly confused with "hook"?
"hook" 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 "hook"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "hook" is /hʊk/. 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 "hook"?
From Middle English hoke, from Old English hōc (“angle, point, hook”), from Proto-West Germanic *hōk, from Proto-Germanic *hōkaz, variant of *hakô (“hook”), probably ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kog-, *keg-, *keng- (“peg, hook, claw”). 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 “hook”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is H-O-O-K - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /hʊk/ (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. hook 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