hosiery

/ˈhoʊʒəɹi/

//ˈhoʊʒəɹi// noun

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

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

The verdict

“hosiery” is uncommon English (frequency #52,384 among 23,837 “H” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#52,384
frequency rank, English
23,837
“H” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Undergarments worn on the legs, such as socks, stockings, and pantyhose.

Key facts for hosiery
PropertyValue
Headwordhosiery
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈhoʊʒəɹi/
Letters7
Frequency rank#52,384
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “hosiery” 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). hosiery lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

hosiery is uncommon English at frequency #52,384 among 23,837 “H” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈhoʊʒəɹi/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for hosiery, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From hosier + -y. The correct English form is hosiery, spelled H-O-S-I-E-R-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Undergarments worn on the legs, such as socks, stockings, and pantyhose.
  2. 2
    The business or art of a hosier; the practice of making hose.
  3. 3
    A shop selling such undergarments.

Etymology

From hosier + -y.

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 "hosiery"?
"hosiery" is spelled H-O-S-I-E-R-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈhoʊʒəɹi/.
What does "hosiery" mean?
As a noun, "hosiery" means: Undergarments worn on the legs, such as socks, stockings, and pantyhose.
How do you pronounce "hosiery"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "hosiery" is /ˈhoʊʒəɹi/. 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 "hosiery"?
From hosier + -y. 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 “hosiery”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is H-O-S-I-E-R-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈhoʊʒəɹi/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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