hutch

/hʌt͡ʃ/

//hʌt͡ʃ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“hutch” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #27,502 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#27,502
frequency rank, English
5
letters
8
tracked misspellings
13
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A box, chest, crate, case or cabinet.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

hutch vs huts
60% similar
hutch vs Hutt
40% similar
hutch vs Hutu
40% similar

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

Key facts for hutch
PropertyValue
Headwordhutch
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/hʌt͡ʃ/
Letters5
Frequency rank#27,502
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs13
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “hutch” 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). hutch 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 hutch is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /hʌt͡ʃ/. Corpus data places it at rank #27,502 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 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for hutch, with forms such as "hhutch", "htuch", and "hucth". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 13 confusable-pair relationships, "huts", "Hutt", "Hutu", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English hucche (“storage chest”), variation of whucce, from Old English hwiċe, hwiċċe (“box, chest”). Spelling influenced by Old French huche (“chest”), from Medieval Latin hūtica, from a different Germanic root, from Frankish *hutta, from Proto… The correct English form is hutch, spelled H-U-T-C-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    A box, chest, crate, case or cabinet.
  2. 2
    A coop or cage for keeping small animals (rabbits, guinea pigs, dogs, etc).
  3. 3
    A piece of furniture in which items may be displayed.
  4. 4
    A cabinet for storing dishes.
  5. 5
    A piece of furniture (cabinet) to be placed on top of a desk.
  6. 6
    A measure of two Winchester bushels.
  7. 7
    The case of a flour bolt.
  8. 8
    A car on low wheels, in which coal is drawn in the mine and hoisted out of the pit.
  9. 9
    A jig or trough for ore dressing or washing ore.
  10. 10
    A baker's kneading-trough.
  11. 11
    The pavilion or dressing room.
  12. 12
    An embankment built in a river to check erosion caused by running water.

Etymology

From Middle English hucche (“storage chest”), variation of whucce, from Old English hwiċe, hwiċċe (“box, chest”). Spelling influenced by Old French huche (“chest”), from Medieval Latin hūtica, from a different Germanic root, from Frankish *hutta, from Proto-Germanic *hudjō, *hudjǭ (“box, hut, hutch”). Akin to Old English hȳdan (“to conceal; hide”). More at hide, hut. (cricket pavilion or dressing room): An extension of the rabbit metaphor.

This word in other languages

conejera(Español)clapier(Français)Kiste(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: hhutch,htuch,hucth,hutcch,hutchh,huthc,huttch,uhtch

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

hhutch1htuch2hucth2hutcch1hutchh1huthc2huttch1uhtch2
Edit distance from "hutch"

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 "hutch"?
"hutch" is spelled H-U-T-C-H. The IPA pronunciation is /hʌt͡ʃ/.
What does "hutch" mean?
As a noun, "hutch" means: A box, chest, crate, case or cabinet.
What words are commonly confused with "hutch"?
"hutch" is commonly confused with "huts", "Hutt", "Hutu". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "hutch"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "hutch" is /hʌt͡ʃ/. 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 "hutch"?
From Middle English hucche (“storage chest”), variation of whucce, from Old English hwiċe, hwiċċe (“box, chest”). Spelling influenced by Old French huche (“chest”), from Medieval Latin hūtica, from a different Germanic root, from Frankish *hutta, ... 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 “hutch”

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

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