header
/ˈhɛdɚ/
"header" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“header” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #8,552 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #8,552
- frequency rank, English
- 6
- letters
- 8
- tracked misspellings
- 20
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The upper portion of a page (or other) layout.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | header |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈhɛdɚ/ |
| Letters | 6 |
| Frequency rank | #8,552 |
| Misspellings tracked | 8 |
| Confusable pairs | 20 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “header” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for header is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈhɛdɚ/. Corpus data places it at rank #8,552 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 18 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
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
- 1The upper portion of a page (or other) layout.
- 2Text, or other visual information, used to mark off a quantity of text, often titling or summarizing it.
- 3Text, or other visual information, that goes at the top of a column of information in a table.
- 4A font, text style, or typesetting used for any of the above.
- 5The first part of a file or record that describes its contents.
- 6Clipping of header file.
- 7the first part of a packet or stream, often containing its address and descriptors.
- 8A 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).
- 9A horizontal structural or finish piece over an opening.
- 10A machine that separates and gathers the heads of grain etc.
- 11The act of hitting the ball with the head.
- 12Someone who heads the ball.
- 13A headlong fall, jump or dive.
- 14A raised tank that supplies water at constant pressure, especially to a central heating and hot water system; a header tank.
- 15A pipe which connects several smaller pipes.
- 16The rodeo performer who drives the steer toward the heeler to be tied.
- 17One who puts a head on something.
- 18A headcase; a nutjob (mentally unbalanced, unpredictable person).
Etymology
From head + -er.
This word in other languages
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.
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"?
What does "header" mean?
What words are commonly confused with "header"?
How do you pronounce "header"?
What is the origin of the word "header"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “header”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is H-E-A-D-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈhɛdɚ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “hear” - see the side-by-side comparison. header vs hear
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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.