# humble

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈhʌmbəl/ · frequency rank #5,973

## Definitions
1. Not pretentious or magnificent; unpretending; unassuming.
2. Having a low opinion of oneself; not proud, arrogant, or assuming; modest.

## Etymology
From Middle English humble, from Old French humble, umble, humle, from Latin humilis (“low, slight, hence mean, humble”) (compare Greek χαμηλός (khamēlós, “on the ground, low, trifling”)), from humus (“the earth, ground”), humi (“on the ground”). See homage, and compare chameleon, humiliate. Displaced native Old English ēaþmōd.

## Easily confused with
- **Hume** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/humble-vs-hume)
- **hustle** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/humble-vs-hustle)
- **hurdle** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/humble-vs-hurdle)
- **humbly** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/humble-vs-humbly)
- **humbug** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/humble-vs-humbug)
- **humbled** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/humble-vs-humbled)
- **humane** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/humane-vs-humble)
- **Hubble** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hubble-vs-humble)
- **huddle** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/huddle-vs-humble)
- **Humber** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/humber-vs-humble)
- **hombre** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hombre-vs-humble)

## Common misspellings (9)
`hhumble`, `hmuble`, `hubmle`, `humbble`, `humbel`, `humblle`, `humlbe`, `hummble`, `uhmble`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/humble