figurehead

/ˈfɪɡjəɹˌhɛd/

//ˈfɪɡjəɹˌhɛd// noun

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

"figurehead" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“figurehead” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #36,557. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#36,557
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords
14
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A carved figure on the prow of a sailing ship.

Corpus desk

Index EN-figurehead · figurehead · English

figurehead · rank #36,557 · 14 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #36,557
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH fina

Nearest frequency peer: fina (+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 “figurehead”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “figurehead” 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
Key facts for figurehead
PropertyValue
Headwordfigurehead
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈfɪɡjəɹˌhɛd/
Letters10
Frequency rank#36,557
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “figurehead”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).figureheadlands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “fina” (#36,558), “falconer” (#36,555), “fiscally” (#36,559). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “figurehead” is #36,557. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around figurehead (IPA /ˈfɪɡjəɹˌhɛd/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #36,557 among 2,507 “F” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for figurehead, with forms such as "ffigurehead", "fgiurehead", and "figgurehead". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From figure + head. The correct English form is figurehead, spelled F-I-G-U-R-E-H-E-A-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    A carved figure on the prow of a sailing ship.
  2. 2
    Someone in a nominal position of leadership who has little to no actual power.
  3. 3
    A person's face.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Evidently he did not mean to be a mere figurehead, but to carry on the old tradition of Wilsthorpe's; and that was considered to be a good thing in itself and an augury for future prosperity.
  2. Instead she played, largely impeccably, the part of a modern constitutional monarch, a symbolic figurehead with a right to be consulted and to advise and warn political leaders privately and to show herself publicly as a focus of national life, celebration and commemoration.

Etymology

From figure + head.

This word in other languages

hombre de paja(Español)figure de proue(Français)Galionsfigur(Deutsch)laranja(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ffigurehead
  • fgiurehead
  • figgurehead
  • figruehead
  • figuerhead
  • figureehad
  • figurehaed
  • figureheadd
  • figureheda
  • figurehhead
  • figurheead
  • figurrehead
  • fiugrehead
  • ifgurehead

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of figurehead - 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.

ffigurehead1fgiurehead2figgurehead1figruehead2figuerhead2figureehad2figurehaed2figureheadd1
Edit distance from "figurehead"

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 "figurehead"?
"figurehead" is spelled F-I-G-U-R-E-H-E-A-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfɪɡjəɹˌhɛd/.
What does "figurehead" mean?
As a noun, "figurehead" means: A carved figure on the prow of a sailing ship.
What are common misspellings of "figurehead"?
Common misspellings include "ffigurehead", "fgiurehead", "figgurehead", "figruehead", "figuerhead". The correct spelling is "figurehead".
How do you pronounce "figurehead"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "figurehead" is /ˈfɪɡjəɹˌhɛd/. 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 "figurehead"?
From figure + head. 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 "figurehead", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

entomology#36,541Germantown#36,577descriptor#36,519defensible#36,516

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

excepting14 variantsgallbladder14 variantsEarnhardt14 variantsimplosion14 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list