hurry

/ˈhʌ.ɹi/

//ˈhʌ.ɹi// noun

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

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

The verdict

“hurry” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #5,690 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#5,690
frequency rank, English
5
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A rushed action.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

hurry vs hurt
60% similar
hurry vs hurts
60% similar
hurry vs husky
60% similar

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

Key facts for hurry
PropertyValue
Headwordhurry
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈhʌ.ɹi/
Letters5
Frequency rank#5,690
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “hurry” 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). hurry lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for hurry is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈhʌ.ɹi/. Corpus data places it at rank #5,690 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for hurry, with forms such as "hhurry", "hrury", and "hurryy". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "hurt", "hurts", "husky", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English horien (“to rush, impel”), probably a variation of hurren (“to vibrate rapidly, buzz”), from Proto-Germanic *hurzaną (“to rush”) (compare Middle High German hurren (“to hasten”), Norwegian hurre (“to whirl around”)), from Proto-Indo-Euro… The correct English form is hurry, spelled H-U-R-R-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    A rushed action.
  2. 2
    An urgency.
  3. 3
    An incidence of a defensive pressure that forces the quarterback to throw the ball earlier than intended or rush their decision, often leading to an incomplete pass or failed play.
  4. 4
    A tremolando passage for violins, etc., accompanying an exciting situation.

Etymology

From Middle English horien (“to rush, impel”), probably a variation of hurren (“to vibrate rapidly, buzz”), from Proto-Germanic *hurzaną (“to rush”) (compare Middle High German hurren (“to hasten”), Norwegian hurre (“to whirl around”)), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱers- (“to run”) (compare Latin currō (“to run”), Tocharian A kursär/Tocharian B kwarsär (“league; course”)). Related to hurr, horse, rush. Alternative etymology derives hurry as a variant of harry.

This word in other languages

prisa(Español)précipitation(Français)Eile(Deutsch)pressa(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: hhurry,hrury,hurryy,hury,huryr,uhrry

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of hurry - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

hhurry1hrury2hurryy1hury1huryr2uhrry2
Edit distance from "hurry"

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 "hurry"?
"hurry" is spelled H-U-R-R-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈhʌ.ɹi/.
What does "hurry" mean?
As a noun, "hurry" means: A rushed action.
What words are commonly confused with "hurry"?
"hurry" is commonly confused with "hurt", "hurts", "husky". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "hurry"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "hurry" is /ˈhʌ.ɹi/. 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 "hurry"?
From Middle English horien (“to rush, impel”), probably a variation of hurren (“to vibrate rapidly, buzz”), from Proto-Germanic *hurzaną (“to rush”) (compare Middle High German hurren (“to hasten”), Norwegian hurre (“to whirl around”)), from Proto... 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 “hurry”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is H-U-R-R-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈhʌ.ɹi/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “hurt” - see the side-by-side comparison. hurry vs hurt
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list