# head

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈhɛd/ · frequency rank #288

## Definitions
1. The part of the body of an animal or human which contains the brain, mouth, and main sense organs.
2. The part of the body of an animal or human which contains the brain, mouth, and main sense organs.
3. The part of the body of an animal or human which contains the brain, mouth, and main sense organs.
4. The part of the body of an animal or human which contains the brain, mouth, and main sense organs.
5. The part of the body of an animal or human which contains the brain, mouth, and main sense organs.
6. The part of the body of an animal or human which contains the brain, mouth, and main sense organs.
7. The part of the body of an animal or human which contains the brain, mouth, and main sense organs.
8. The part of the body of an animal or human which contains the brain, mouth, and main sense organs.
9. The part of the body of an animal or human which contains the brain, mouth, and main sense organs.
10. The topmost, foremost, or leading part.
11. The topmost, foremost, or leading part.
12. The topmost, foremost, or leading part.
13. The topmost, foremost, or leading part.
14. The topmost, foremost, or leading part.
15. The topmost, foremost, or leading part.
16. The topmost, foremost, or leading part.
17. The topmost, foremost, or leading part.
18. The topmost, foremost, or leading part.
19. The topmost, foremost, or leading part.
20. The topmost, foremost, or leading part.
21. The topmost, foremost, or leading part.
22. The topmost, foremost, or leading part.
23. The topmost, foremost, or leading part.
24. The topmost, foremost, or leading part.
25. The topmost, foremost, or leading part.
26. The topmost, foremost, or leading part.
27. The topmost, foremost, or leading part.
28. The topmost, foremost, or leading part.
29. The topmost, foremost, or leading part.
30. The topmost, foremost, or leading part.
31. The topmost, foremost, or leading part.
32. The topmost, foremost, or leading part.
33. The topmost, foremost, or leading part.
34. The topmost, foremost, or leading part.
35. The topmost, foremost, or leading part.
36. A leader or expert.
37. A leader or expert.
38. A leader or expert.
39. A leader or expert.
40. A significant or important part.
41. A significant or important part.
42. A significant or important part.
43. A significant or important part.
44. A significant or important part.
45. A significant or important part.
46. A significant or important part.
47. A significant or important part.
48. A significant or important part.
49. A significant or important part.
50. Headway; progress.
51. Topic; subject.
52. Denouement; crisis.
53. Pressure and energy.
54. Pressure and energy.
55. Pressure and energy.
56. Fellatio or cunnilingus; oral sex.
57. The glans penis.
58. A heavy or habitual user of illicit drugs.
59. Power; armed force.

## Etymology
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *kap-
Proto-Indo-European *káput-
Proto-Germanic *haubudą
Old English hēafod
Middle English heed
English head
From Middle English hed heed, from Old English hēafd-, hēafod (“head, top, chief”), from Proto-West Germanic *haubud, from Proto-Germanic *haubudą (“head”), from Proto-Indo-European *káput.
The modern word comes from Old English oblique stem hēafd-; the expected Modern English outcome for hēafod would be *heaved (similar to the Middle English word). Doublet of cape, capo, caput, chef, chief, and Howth.
Cognate with Old English hafela (“head”), Scots heid, hede, hevid, heved (“head”), North Frisian hood (“head”), Dutch hoofd (“head”), German Haupt (“head”), Danish hoved (“head”), Faroese høvd, høvur (“head”), Icelandic höfuð (“head”), Norn heved (“head”), Norwegian hode (“head”), hoved- (“head, chief, main, principal”), Swedish huvud (“head”), Latin caput (“head”), Hindi कपाल (kapāl, “skull”), Sanskrit कपाल (kapāla, “skull”).

## Easily confused with
- **her** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/head-vs-her)
- **hey** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/head-vs-hey)
- **hes** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/head-vs-hes)
- **hid** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/head-vs-hid)
- **heh** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/head-vs-heh)
- **hen** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/head-vs-hen)
- **hee** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/head-vs-hee)
- **HUD** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/head-vs-hud)
- **hem** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/head-vs-hem)
- **hua** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/head-vs-hua)
- **het** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/head-vs-het)
- **hoa** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/head-vs-hoa)
- **Hel** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/head-vs-hel)
- **hep** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/head-vs-hep)
- **HPA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/head-vs-hpa)
- **hed** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/head-vs-hed)
- **HSA** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/head-vs-hsa)
- **hew** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/head-vs-hew)
- **hod** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/head-vs-hod)
- **here** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/head-vs-here)

## Common misspellings (5)
`ehad`, `haed`, `headd`, `heda`, `hhead`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/head