headline
/ˈhɛd.laɪn/noun, verb
headline is spelled H-E-A-D-L-I-N-E: 8 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 11 times per million words in written English, the 6,784th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, headline means “A rope or chain used to attach the bow of a vessel to the shore or to another vessel” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of headline is headlines.
How many letters and syllables are in headline?
| Letters | 8: H-E-A-D-L-I-N-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 11 times per million words; the 6,784th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is headline?
Headline appears 11 times per million words in written English, the 6,784th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce headline?
- UK /ˈhɛd.laɪn/
Headline has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-headline.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with headline
Also written: head line (one word or two).
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of headline
- headlines plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- head-line
- head line
- headlining participle, present
- headlined participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does headline mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
obsoleteAny of various type of rope used to attach a sail to a yard.
- 2
A rope or chain used to attach the bow of a vessel to the shore or to another vessel.
- 3
A rope tied to the head of an animal.
- 4
A line stretching diagonally across the palm, said to represent mental or intellectual matters.
- 5
CanadaUSarchaicThe boundary line of a piece of land, used as a reference in surveying etc.
- 6
A line drawn across the head of a page, for the title, page number, etc.; also more generally, the space at the top of a page in which this information is positioned.
- 7
A heading or title at the top of a page or section of text; especially, a brief line in large letters summarising or drawing attention to the following article or similar in a magazine or newspaper.
The headline on today's newspaper reads "John Doe Wins Wood-Splitting Competition."
- 8
The top-billed attraction; a headliner.
verb
- 1
To give a headline to a page or section of a text.
- 2
To present as the main attraction; to have top billing, to be the main attraction.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Headline in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | titre, manchette |
| German | Schlagzeile, Überschrift, Kopfzeile |
| Portuguese | manchete , atração principal |
| Spanish | titular, encabezado |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does headline come from?
From head + line.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).