hurl

/hɜːl/

//hɜːl// verb

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

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

The verdict

“hurl” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #32,438. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#32,438
frequency rank, English
2,646
“H” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To throw (something) with force.

Corpus desk

Index EN-hurl · hurl · English

hurl · rank #32,438 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #32,438
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,646
  • PHOTO-FINISH Hoffmann

Nearest frequency peer: Hoffmann (-1 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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “hurl”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “hurl” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

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).

hurl vs hut
50% similar
hurl vs Hus
25% similar
hurl vs Huw
25% similar

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

Key facts for hurl
PropertyValue
Headwordhurl
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/hɜːl/
Letters4
Frequency rank#32,438
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “hurl”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).hurllands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “Hoffmann” (#32,437), “hydroxide” (#32,439), “hiccup” (#32,436). Among 2,646 “H” headwords, “hurl” is #32,438. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around hurl (IPA /hɜːl/), averb. Corpus frequency is #32,438 among 2,646 “H” headwords. Wiktionary lists 7 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for hurl, with forms such as "hhurl", "hrul", and "hulr". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "hut", "Hus", "Huw", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Inherited from Middle English hurlen, of onomatopoeic origin; compare hurry, hurtle. The correct English form is hurl, spelled H-U-R-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    To throw (something) with force.
  2. 2
    To utter (harsh or derogatory speech), especially at its target.
  3. 3
    To participate in the sport of hurling.
  4. 4
    To vomit.
  5. 5
    To twist or turn.
  6. 6
    To move rapidly with a noise; to whirl.
  7. 7
    To convey in a wheeled vehicle.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Thou shalt have Preists immers’t in lust and gluttony And bishops three times married, thy cathedrals The Seats where Prayer and hospitality Should dwel, shall be the taverns Where Drunken bowles incessantly goe round In leud debauch and midnight dice are hurld, The beds wherein the wearied Pilgrim us’d To ease his crippled Limbs, he now shall find Posses…
  2. I was standing on the edge of the conning-tower, when a heavy palm suddenly struck me between the shoulders and hurled me forward into space. The drop to the triangular deck forward of the conning-tower might easily have broken a leg for me, or I might have slipped off onto the deck and rolled overboard; but fate was upon my side, as I was only slightly b…

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English hurlen, of onomatopoeic origin; compare hurry, hurtle.

This word in other languages

arrojar(Español)projeter(Français)schleudern(Deutsch)arremessar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • hhurl
  • hrul
  • hulr
  • hurll
  • hurrl
  • uhrl

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of hurl - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

hhurl1hrul2hulr2hurll1hurrl1uhrl2
Edit distance from "hurl"

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 "hurl"?
"hurl" is spelled H-U-R-L. The IPA pronunciation is /hɜːl/.
What does "hurl" mean?
As a verb, "hurl" means: To throw (something) with force.
What words are commonly confused with "hurl"?
"hurl" is commonly confused with "hut", "Hus", "Huw". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "hurl"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "hurl" is /hɜːl/. 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 "hurl"?
Inherited from Middle English hurlen, of onomatopoeic origin; compare hurry, hurtle. 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 "hurl", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

gila#32,414kwan#32,468FISA#32,399faze#32,393

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

Iliad6 variantsgrills6 variantsLonnie6 variantsMalia6 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list