header

/ˈhɛdɚ/

//ˈhɛdɚ// noun

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

"header" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“header” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #8,552. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#8,552
frequency rank, English
2,646
“H” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The upper portion of a page (or other) layout.

Corpus desk

Index EN-header · header · English

header · rank #8,552 · 8 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #8,552
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,646
  • PHOTO-FINISH haul

Nearest frequency peer: haul (-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 “header”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “header” 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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

header vs hear
67% similar
header vs heads
67% similar
header vs heady
67% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for header
PropertyValue
Headwordheader
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈhɛdɚ/
Letters6
Frequency rank#8,552
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “header”

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).headerlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “haul” (#8,551), “headphones” (#8,553), “holly” (#8,555). Among 2,646 “H” headwords, “header” is #8,552. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around header (IPA /ˈhɛdɚ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #8,552 among 2,646 “H” headwords. Wiktionary lists 18 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for header, with forms such as "ehader", "haeder", and "headder". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "hear", "heads", "heady", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From head + -er. The correct English form is header, spelled H-E-A-D-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    The upper portion of a page (or other) layout.
  2. 2
    Text, or other visual information, used to mark off a quantity of text, often titling or summarizing it.
  3. 3
    Text, or other visual information, that goes at the top of a column of information in a table.
  4. 4
    A font, text style, or typesetting used for any of the above.
  5. 5
    The first part of a file or record that describes its contents.
  6. 6
    Clipping of header file.
  7. 7
    the first part of a packet or stream, often containing its address and descriptors.
  8. 8
    A brick that is laid sideways (on its largest face), for example at the top of a wall or within the brickwork, with its smallest side showing (oriented so that that side is wider than it is tall).
  9. 9
    A horizontal structural or finish piece over an opening.
  10. 10
    A machine that separates and gathers the heads of grain etc.
  11. 11
    The act of hitting the ball with the head.
  12. 12
    Someone who heads the ball.
  13. 13
    A headlong fall, jump or dive.
  14. 14
    A raised tank that supplies water at constant pressure, especially to a central heating and hot water system; a header tank.
  15. 15
    A pipe which connects several smaller pipes.
  16. 16
    The rodeo performer who drives the steer toward the heeler to be tied.
  17. 17
    One who puts a head on something.
  18. 18
    A headcase; a nutjob (mentally unbalanced, unpredictable person).

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. If you reduce the header of this document, the body will fit onto a single page.
  2. Your header is too long; "Local Cannibals" will suffice.

Etymology

From head + -er.

This word in other languages

encabezado(Español)en-tête(Français)Header(Deutsch)cabeçalho(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ehader
  • haeder
  • headder
  • headerr
  • headre
  • heaedr
  • hedaer
  • hheader

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of header - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

ehader2haeder2headder1headerr1headre2heaedr2hedaer2hheader1
Edit distance from "header"

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 "header"?
"header" is spelled H-E-A-D-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈhɛdɚ/.
What does "header" mean?
As a noun, "header" means: The upper portion of a page (or other) layout.
What words are commonly confused with "header"?
"header" is commonly confused with "hear", "heads", "heady". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "header"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "header" is /ˈhɛdɚ/. 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 "header"?
From head + -er. 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 "header", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

gossip#8,547ghosts#8,546lining#8,570Luther#8,571

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

immense8 variantsFerrari8 variantsManila8 variantscarved8 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list