husk

/hʌsk/

//hʌsk// noun

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

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

The verdict

“husk” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #35,345 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#35,345
frequency rank, English
4
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The dry, leafy or stringy exterior of certain vegetables or fruits, which must be removed before eating the meat inside.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

husk vs hut
50% similar
husk vs Huw
25% similar
husk vs huts
50% similar

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

Key facts for husk
PropertyValue
Headwordhusk
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/hʌsk/
Letters4
Frequency rank#35,345
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “husk” 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). husk 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 husk is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /hʌsk/. Corpus data places it at rank #35,345 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 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 husk, with forms such as "hhusk", "hsuk", and "huks". 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, "hut", "Huw", "huts", 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 huske, husk (“husk”). Perhaps from Old English *husuc, *hosuc (“little covering, sheath”), diminutive of hosu (“pod, shell, husk”), from Proto-West Germanic *hosā, from Proto-Germanic *husǭ (“covering, shell, leggings”), from Proto-Indo-… The correct English form is husk, spelled H-U-S-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    The dry, leafy or stringy exterior of certain vegetables or fruits, which must be removed before eating the meat inside.
  2. 2
    Any form of useless, dried up, and subsequently worthless exterior of something.
  3. 3
    The supporting frame of a run of millstones.

Etymology

From Middle English huske, husk (“husk”). Perhaps from Old English *husuc, *hosuc (“little covering, sheath”), diminutive of hosu (“pod, shell, husk”), from Proto-West Germanic *hosā, from Proto-Germanic *husǭ (“covering, shell, leggings”), from Proto-Indo-European *kawəs- / kawes- (“cover”). If so, equivalent to hose + -ock. Alternatively from Middle Low German hûs(e)ken, hü̂seken (“little house, sheath”), Middle Dutch husekijn (“little house, core of fruit, case”), diminutive of hûs (“house”). Compare Dutch huisje, German Häuschen, both also used for “snailshell”.

This word in other languages

farfolla(Español)écale(Français)Hülse(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: hhusk,hsuk,huks,huskk,hussk,uhsk

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

hhusk1hsuk2huks2huskk1hussk1uhsk2
Edit distance from "husk"

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 "husk"?
"husk" is spelled H-U-S-K. The IPA pronunciation is /hʌsk/.
What does "husk" mean?
As a noun, "husk" means: The dry, leafy or stringy exterior of certain vegetables or fruits, which must be removed before eating the meat inside.
What words are commonly confused with "husk"?
"husk" is commonly confused with "hut", "Huw", "huts". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "husk"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "husk" is /hʌsk/. 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 "husk"?
From Middle English huske, husk (“husk”). Perhaps from Old English *husuc, *hosuc (“little covering, sheath”), diminutive of hosu (“pod, shell, husk”), from Proto-West Germanic *hosā, from Proto-Germanic *husǭ (“covering, shell, leggings”), from P... 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 “husk”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is H-U-S-K - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /hʌsk/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “hut” - see the side-by-side comparison. husk vs hut
  • 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