hypothesis
/haɪˈpɒθɪsɪs/
"hypothesis" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“hypothesis” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #8,678 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #8,678
- frequency rank, English
- 10
- letters
- 16
- tracked misspellings
- 1
- confusable pair
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A tentative conjecture explaining an observation, phenomenon or scientific problem and that can be tested by further observation, investigation, or experimentation.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | hypothesis |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /haɪˈpɒθɪsɪs/ |
| Letters | 10 |
| Frequency rank | #8,678 |
| Misspellings tracked | 16 |
| Confusable pairs | 1 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “hypothesis” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for hypothesis is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /haɪˈpɒθɪsɪs/. Corpus data places it at rank #8,678 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for hypothesis, with forms such as "hhypothesis", "hpyothesis", and "hyopthesis". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "hypotheses", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.
Etymologically, the entry records: Recorded since 1596, from Middle French hypothese, from Late Latin hypothesis, from Ancient Greek ὑπόθεσις (hupóthesis, “base, basis of an argument, supposition”, literally “a placing under”), itself from ὑποτίθημι (hupotíthēmi, “I set before, suggest”), fr… The correct English form is hypothesis, spelled H-Y-P-O-T-H-E-S-I-S.
Definition
- 1A tentative conjecture explaining an observation, phenomenon or scientific problem and that can be tested by further observation, investigation, or experimentation.
- 2An assumption taken to be true for the purpose of argument or investigation.
- 3The antecedent of a conditional statement.
Etymology
Recorded since 1596, from Middle French hypothese, from Late Latin hypothesis, from Ancient Greek ὑπόθεσις (hupóthesis, “base, basis of an argument, supposition”, literally “a placing under”), itself from ὑποτίθημι (hupotíthēmi, “I set before, suggest”), from ὑπό (hupó, “below”) + τίθημι (títhēmi, “I put, place”). Compare hypothec.
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: hhypothesis,hpyothesis,hyopthesis,hypohtesis,hypotehsis,hypotheiss,hypothesiss,hypothessi,hypothessis,hypothhesis,hypothseis,hypotthesis,hyppothesis,hyptohesis,hyypothesis,yhpothesis
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of hypothesis - 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.
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 "hypothesis"?
What does "hypothesis" mean?
What words are commonly confused with "hypothesis"?
How do you pronounce "hypothesis"?
What is the origin of the word "hypothesis"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “hypothesis”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is H-Y-P-O-T-H-E-S-I-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /haɪˈpɒθɪsɪs/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “hypotheses” - see the side-by-side comparison. hypothesis vs hypotheses
- 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.