heterodox

[hetəʁoˈdɔks]

/[hetəʁoˈdɔks]/ adj

The verdict

“heterodox” is uncommon German (outside the top frequency list), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency German
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - von der herrschenden (kirchlichen) Lehre abweichend; andersgläubig

Corpus desk

Index DE-heterodox · heterodox · German

heterodox · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "H" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for heterodox
PropertyValue
Headwordheterodox
LanguageGerman
Part of speechAdjective
IPA[hetəʁoˈdɔks]
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Langschwanz-Rang von „heterodox“ im Deutschen

heterodoxliegt außerhalb der 100.000 häufigsten deutschen Wörter, im Langschwanz technischer, archaischer oder seltener Formen, genau dort, wo Schreibzweifeln zuschlagen.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

heterodox is uncommon German outside the top frequency list, classed as anadjective, transcribed [hetəʁoˈdɔks]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "von der herrschenden (kirchlichen) Lehre abweichend; andersgläubig".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for heterodox, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable German rules. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Our source data has no etymology on file for this entry, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct German form is heterodox, spelled H-E-T-E-R-O-D-O-X.

Definition

  1. 1
    von der herrschenden (kirchlichen) Lehre abweichend; andersgläubig

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Man könnte sagen, dass „orthodox“ für das herkömmliche Wissen und „heterodox“ für das noch nicht anerkannte Wissen steht.
  2. „Was er liebt, wie er liebt, wie orthodox oder heterodox, sentimental oder liberal er die Sache betreibt … über alles Dieses erlaube ich mir kein Urtheil und keinen Richterspruch, wenn er mich nicht selbst in seine Geheimnisse einweiht.“

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "heterodox"?
"heterodox" is spelled H-E-T-E-R-O-D-O-X. The IPA pronunciation is [hetəʁoˈdɔks].
What does "heterodox" mean?
As an adjective, "heterodox" means: von der herrschenden (kirchlichen) Lehre abweichend; andersgläubig
How do you pronounce "heterodox"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "heterodox" is [hetəʁoˈdɔks]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "heterodox" come from?
"heterodox" is a German word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list