hula

/ˈhuːlə/

//ˈhuːlə// noun

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

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

The verdict

“hula” sits in 20 confusable pairs (corpus #28,583) as a noun. The look-alike neighbours are the real trap.

#28,583
frequency rank, English
2,646
“H” headwords
4
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A form of chant and dance, which was developed in the Hawaiian Islands by the Polynesians who originally settled there.

Corpus desk

Index EN-hula · hula · English

hula · rank #28,583 · 4 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #28,583
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-LOW 4 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,646
  • PHOTO-FINISH hindrance

Nearest frequency peer: hindrance (-2 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.

Frequency neighbours of confusable “hula”

Peers at similar corpus weight, separate from look-alike pairs below

corpus weight

What this shows Bars place “hula” against nearest ranked English headwords, not a reprint of the confusable-pair desk.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

hula vs hut
50% similar
hula vs hum
50% similar
hula vs hun
50% similar

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

Key facts for hula
PropertyValue
Headwordhula
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈhuːlə/
Letters4
Frequency rank#28,583
Misspellings tracked4
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Corpus rank beside confusables of “hula”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).hulalands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “hindrance” (#28,581), “Huxley” (#28,585), “hibernation” (#28,580). Among 2,646 “H” headwords, “hula” is #28,583. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Easy to mix with look-alikes

The spelling risk for hula is neighbouring look-alikes ("hut", "hum", …), not just typos; it is anoun pronounced /ˈhuːlə/. Frequency #28,583 among 2,646 “H” headwords. Gloss: "A form of chant and dance, which was developed in the Hawaiian Islands by the Polynesians who originally settled there.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 4 likely wrong-spelling variants for hula, with forms such as "hhula", "hlua", and "hulla". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "hut", "hum", "hun", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Hawaiian hula. The correct English form is hula, spelled H-U-L-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    A form of chant and dance, which was developed in the Hawaiian Islands by the Polynesians who originally settled there.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Under the rule of Kalākaua, they had revived the hula, which had been condemned by the missionaries.

Etymology

Borrowed from Hawaiian hula.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • hhula
  • hlua
  • hulla
  • uhla

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of hula - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

hhula1hlua2hulla1uhla2
Edit distance from "hula"

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 "hula"?
"hula" is spelled H-U-L-A. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈhuːlə/.
What does "hula" mean?
As a noun, "hula" means: A form of chant and dance, which was developed in the Hawaiian Islands by the Polynesians who originally settled there.
What words are commonly confused with "hula"?
"hula" is commonly confused with "hut", "hum", "hun". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "hula"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "hula" is /ˈhuːlə/. 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 "hula"?
Borrowed from Hawaiian hula. 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 "hula", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

ills#28,587Inca#28,593kush#28,607garb#28,558

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list