hoopoe

/ˈhupu/

//ˈhupu// noun

"hoopoe" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“hoopoe” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
6
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Any Old World bird of genus Upupa, especially Upupa epops (Eurasian hoopoe), known for its distinctive plumage, fanlike crest, and slender bill.

Corpus desk

Index EN-hoopoe · hoopoe · English

hoopoe · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "H" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for hoopoe
PropertyValue
Headwordhoopoe
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈhupu/
Letters6
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “hoopoe” in English

hoopoeranks outside the top 100,000 English headwords, in the long tail of specialist, archaic, or seldom-used vocabulary, exactly the territory where a reader stops mid-sentence to double-check spelling.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

hoopoe is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈhupu/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Any Old World bird of genus Upupa, especially Upupa epops (Eurasian hoopoe), known for its distinctive plumage, fanlike crest, and slender bill.".

Zero misspellings are on record for hoopoe in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: Alteration of obsolete hoopoop, from earlier hoop, from Middle French and Old French huppe, from Latin upupa, ultimately onomatopoeic; Compare Ancient Greek ἔποψ (épops), Persian پوپو (popo). The correct English form is hoopoe, spelled H-O-O-P-O-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any Old World bird of genus Upupa, especially Upupa epops (Eurasian hoopoe), known for its distinctive plumage, fanlike crest, and slender bill.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. For quotations using this term, see Citations:hoopoe.

Etymology

Alteration of obsolete hoopoop, from earlier hoop, from Middle French and Old French huppe, from Latin upupa, ultimately onomatopoeic; Compare Ancient Greek ἔποψ (épops), Persian پوپو (popo).

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "hoopoe"?
"hoopoe" is spelled H-O-O-P-O-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈhupu/.
What does "hoopoe" mean?
As a noun, "hoopoe" means: Any Old World bird of genus Upupa, especially Upupa epops (Eurasian hoopoe), known for its distinctive plumage, fanlike crest, and slender bill.
How do you pronounce "hoopoe"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "hoopoe" is /ˈhupu/. 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 "hoopoe"?
Alteration of obsolete hoopoop, from earlier hoop, from Middle French and Old French huppe, from Latin upupa, ultimately onomatopoeic; Compare Ancient Greek ἔποψ (épops), Persian پوپو (popo). 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list