humpback
/ˈhʌmpbæk/noun, verb
humpback is spelled H-U-M-P-B-A-C-K: 8 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 36,565th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, humpback means “A humped back (deformity in humans caused by abnormal curvature of the upper spine)” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of humpback is humpbacks.
How many letters and syllables are in humpback?
| Letters | 8: H-U-M-P-B-A-C-K |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 36,565th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is humpback?
Humpback appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 36,565th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce humpback?
- /ˈhʌmpbæk/
Humpback has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-humpback.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of humpback
- humpbacks plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- hump-back
- humpbacking participle, present
- humpbacked participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does humpback mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A humped back (deformity in humans caused by abnormal curvature of the upper spine).
- 2
A hump or protuberance on the shoulders or back of an animal.
- 3
A rounded topographical feature, such as a mountain or hill.
- 4
derogatoryoffensiveA person with a humpback; a person who suffers from kyphosis.
- 5
A humpback whale.
- 6
A humpback salmon.
verb
- 1
To hunt humpback whales.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Humpback in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | bosse , bossu, bossue |
| German | Buckel , Buckliger, Bucklige |
| Portuguese | corcunda |
| Spanish | jorobado, corcovado, giboso, contrahecho |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does humpback come from?
From hump + back.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).