haw

\hɔː\

/\hɔː\/ intj

The verdict

“haw” is uncommon French (frequency #75,758 among 109,908 “H” headwords), classed as an interjection. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#75,758
frequency rank, French
109,908
“H” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Instruction pour faire tourner un cheval à gauche.

Key facts for haw
PropertyValue
Headwordhaw
LanguageFrench
Part of speechInterjection
IPA\hɔː\
Letters3
Frequency rank#75,758
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “haw” sits in French 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). haw lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

haw is uncommon French at frequency #75,758 among 109,908 “H” headwords, classed as aninterjection, transcribed \hɔː\. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Instruction pour faire tourner un cheval à gauche.".

haw doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, so its spelling is best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct French form is haw, spelled H-A-W.

Definition

  1. 1
    Instruction pour faire tourner un cheval à gauche.

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 French corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "haw"?
"haw" is spelled H-A-W. The IPA pronunciation is \hɔː\.
What does "haw" mean?
As an interjection, "haw" means: Instruction pour faire tourner un cheval à gauche.
How do you pronounce "haw"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "haw" is \hɔː\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "haw" come from?
"haw" is a French word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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 “haw”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is H-A-W - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \hɔː\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French words

Other uncommon French words near this rank

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