hypo

/ˈhaɪ.pəʊ/

//ˈhaɪ.pəʊ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“hypo” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #42,192. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#42,192
frequency rank, English
2,646
“H” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Melancholy; a fit of hypochondria; a morbid depression.

Corpus desk

Index EN-hypo · hypo · English

hypo · rank #42,192 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #42,192
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,646
  • PHOTO-FINISH hyperspace

Nearest frequency peer: hyperspace (-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 “hypo”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “hypo” 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).

hypo vs Hyun
25% similar
hypo vs ho
50% similar
hypo vs HP
0% similar

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

Key facts for hypo
PropertyValue
Headwordhypo
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈhaɪ.pəʊ/
Letters4
Frequency rank#42,192
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “hypo”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).hypolands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “hyperspace” (#42,191), “hydroxyl” (#42,190), “hydrothermal” (#42,189). Among 2,646 “H” headwords, “hypo” is #42,192. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around hypo (IPA /ˈhaɪ.pəʊ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #42,192 among 2,646 “H” headwords. Wiktionary lists 8 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for hypo, with forms such as "hhypo", "hpyo", and "hyop". 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, "Hyun", "ho", "HP", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Clipping of various terms beginning with hypo-, from Ancient Greek ὑπό (hupó, “under”). The correct English form is hypo, spelled H-Y-P-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    Melancholy; a fit of hypochondria; a morbid depression.
  2. 2
    A hypochondriac.
  3. 3
    Sodium thiosulfate (also called hyposulfite of soda), a photographic fixing agent.
  4. 4
    A hypoglycaemia attack in a person with diabetes.
  5. 5
    A hypodermic syringe or injection.
  6. 6
    Hypothecation.
  7. 7
    A hypothetical case.
  8. 8
    A hypomelanistic snake.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. 1711 "I have a better Stomach tha usuall and have perfectly forgot what the Hyppo means",Joseph Collett, merchant, writing from Rio de Janeiro, Oct 15, 1711, in his Private Letter Books, edited by H. H. Dodwell in 1933. (cited by Eric Partidge, A Dictionary of Slang and Unconventinoal English
  2. 1837 Abraham Lincoln: Tell your sister I dont want to hear any more about selling out and moving. That gives me the hypo whenever I think of it. (Letter to Mary S. Owens, May 7. 1837, Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln. Volume 1.

Etymology

Clipping of various terms beginning with hypo-, from Ancient Greek ὑπό (hupó, “under”).

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • hhypo
  • hpyo
  • hyop
  • hyppo
  • hyypo
  • yhpo

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of hypo - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

hhypo1hpyo2hyop2hyppo1hyypo1yhpo2
Edit distance from "hypo"

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 "hypo"?
"hypo" is spelled H-Y-P-O. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈhaɪ.pəʊ/.
What does "hypo" mean?
As a noun, "hypo" means: Melancholy; a fit of hypochondria; a morbid depression.
What words are commonly confused with "hypo"?
"hypo" is commonly confused with "Hyun", "ho", "HP". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "hypo"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "hypo" is /ˈhaɪ.pəʊ/. 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 "hypo"?
Clipping of various terms beginning with hypo-, from Ancient Greek ὑπό (hupó, “under”). 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 "hypo", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

kell#42,221Gant#42,148lilo#42,241dura#42,109

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

indio6 variantsNoida6 variantsochre6 variantsorang6 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list