hotch

/hɒtʃ/

//hɒtʃ// verb

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

"hotch" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“hotch” is uncommon English (frequency #73,276 among 23,837 “H” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#73,276
frequency rank, English
23,837
“H” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To move irregularly up and down.

Key facts for hotch
PropertyValue
Headwordhotch
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/hɒtʃ/
Letters5
Frequency rank#73,276
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “hotch” 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). hotch 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

hotch is uncommon English at frequency #73,276 among 23,837 “H” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /hɒtʃ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for hotch in our index, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Anglo-Norman hocher, Middle French hocher, from a Germanic source (compare Dutch hutsen, hossen, German hotzen). The correct English form is hotch, spelled H-O-T-C-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    To move irregularly up and down.
  2. 2
    To swarm (with).

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman hocher, Middle French hocher, from a Germanic source (compare Dutch hutsen, hossen, German hotzen).

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 "hotch"?
"hotch" is spelled H-O-T-C-H. The IPA pronunciation is /hɒtʃ/.
What does "hotch" mean?
As a verb, "hotch" means: To move irregularly up and down.
How do you pronounce "hotch"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "hotch" is /hɒtʃ/. 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 "hotch"?
From Anglo-Norman hocher, Middle French hocher, from a Germanic source (compare Dutch hutsen, hossen, German hotzen). 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 “hotch”

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

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