hustle

/ˈhʌsəl/

//ˈhʌsəl// verb

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

"hustle" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“hustle” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #11,232 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#11,232
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
8
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To push someone roughly; to crowd; to jostle.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

hustle vs hustler
86% similar
hustle vs haste
67% similar
hustle vs humble
67% similar

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

Key facts for hustle
PropertyValue
Headwordhustle
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈhʌsəl/
Letters6
Frequency rank#11,232
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs8
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “hustle” 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). hustle 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 hustle is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈhʌsəl/. Corpus data places it at rank #11,232 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 12 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for hustle, with forms such as "hhustle", "hsutle", and "huslte". 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 8 confusable-pair relationships, "hustler", "haste", "humble", 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 Dutch husselen or by metathesis from Dutch hutselen (“to shake up”), a frequentative of hutsen (“to stir, to move something (back and forth)”). The correct English form is hustle, spelled H-U-S-T-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To push someone roughly; to crowd; to jostle.
  2. 2
    To rush or hurry.
  3. 3
    To bundle; to stow something quickly.
  4. 4
    To con, swindle, or deceive, especially financially.
  5. 5
    To play deliberately badly at a game or sport in an attempt to encourage players to challenge one.
  6. 6
    To obtain by illicit or forceful action.
  7. 7
    To sell sex; to work as a pimp.
  8. 8
    To be a prostitute; to exchange use of one's body for sexual purposes for money.
  9. 9
    To serve (a clientele) as a prostitute.
  10. 10
    To dance the hustle, a disco dance.
  11. 11
    To work.
  12. 12
    To put a lot of effort into one's work.

Etymology

From Dutch husselen or by metathesis from Dutch hutselen (“to shake up”), a frequentative of hutsen (“to stir, to move something (back and forth)”).

Synonyms

flymake tracksrushdefraudswindledeceivesell one's bodyturn tricksprostitute oneselfpimppimp outlabor

This word in other languages

darse prisa(Español)bousculer(Français)hetzen(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: hhustle,hsutle,huslte,husstle,hustel,hustlle,husttle,hutsle,uhstle

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

hhustle1hsutle2huslte2husstle1hustel2hustlle1husttle1hutsle2
Edit distance from "hustle"

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 "hustle"?
"hustle" is spelled H-U-S-T-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈhʌsəl/.
What does "hustle" mean?
As a verb, "hustle" means: To push someone roughly; to crowd; to jostle.
What words are commonly confused with "hustle"?
"hustle" is commonly confused with "hustler", "haste", "humble". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "hustle"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "hustle" is /ˈhʌsəl/. 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 "hustle"?
From Dutch husselen or by metathesis from Dutch hutselen (“to shake up”), a frequentative of hutsen (“to stir, to move something (back and forth)”). 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 “hustle”

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

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