husky

/ˈhʌs.ki/

//ˈhʌs.ki// adj

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

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

The verdict

“husky” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #19,860. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#19,860
frequency rank, English
2,646
“H” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
14
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Hoarse and rough-sounding; throaty.

Corpus desk

Index EN-husky · husky · English

husky · rank #19,860 · 8 variants · 14 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #19,860
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 14 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,646
  • PHOTO-FINISH housekeeper

Nearest frequency peer: housekeeper (-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 “husky”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “husky” 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).

husky vs Hussey
50% similar
husky vs Hus
40% similar
husky vs hulk
60% similar

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

Key facts for husky
PropertyValue
Headwordhusky
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈhʌs.ki/
Letters5
Frequency rank#19,860
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs14
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “husky”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).huskylands 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 “housekeeper” (#19,859), “IDF” (#19,861), “hijacked” (#19,858). Among 2,646 “H” headwords, “husky” is #19,860. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around husky (IPA /ˈhʌs.ki/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #19,860 among 2,646 “H” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for husky, with forms such as "hhusky", "hsuky", and "huksy". 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 14 confusable-pair relationships, "Hussey", "Hus", "hulk", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From husk + -y; in relation to voice, from the sense "dry as a husk" or "tough as a husk". The correct English form is husky, spelled H-U-S-K-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Hoarse and rough-sounding; throaty.
  2. 2
    Burly, stout; sometimes as a modifier for boys' clothing sizes that fit a large waist or chest.
  3. 3
    Abounding with husks; consisting of husks.
  4. 4
    Belligerent; hostile and uncooperative.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Mr. Hyde was pale and dwarfish, he gave an impression of deformity without any nameable malformation, he had a displeasing smile, he had borne himself to the lawyer with a sort of murderous mixture of timidity and boldness, and he spoke with a husky, whispering and somewhat broken voice; all these were points against him, but not all of these together cou…
  2. Her voice was boy-husky, sounding as though strained through some rough material ...

Etymology

From husk + -y; in relation to voice, from the sense "dry as a husk" or "tough as a husk".

This word in other languages

ronco(Español)rauque(Français)heiser(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • hhusky
  • hsuky
  • huksy
  • huskky
  • huskyy
  • hussky
  • husyk
  • uhsky

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of husky - 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.

hhusky1hsuky2huksy2huskky1huskyy1hussky1husyk2uhsky2
Edit distance from "husky"

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 "husky"?
"husky" is spelled H-U-S-K-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈhʌs.ki/.
What does "husky" mean?
As an adjective, "husky" means: Hoarse and rough-sounding; throaty.
What words are commonly confused with "husky"?
"husky" is commonly confused with "Hussey", "Hus", "hulk". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "husky"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "husky" is /ˈhʌs.ki/. 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 "husky"?
From husk + -y; in relation to voice, from the sense "dry as a husk" or "tough as a husk". 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 "husky", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

hasty#19,854flips#19,838laced#19,882feral#19,837

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

Julien8 variantsKapoor8 variantsexcite8 variantsEaston8 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list