headlong

/ˈhɛd.lɒŋ/

//ˈhɛd.lɒŋ// adv

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

"headlong" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“headlong” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #40,731. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#40,731
frequency rank, English
2,646
“H” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - With the head first or down.

Corpus desk

Index EN-headlong · headlong · English

headlong · rank #40,731 · 12 variants · 4 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #40,731
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 4 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,646
  • PHOTO-FINISH Hardie

Nearest frequency peer: Hardie (-2 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 “headlong”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “headlong” 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).

headlong vs healing
75% similar
headlong vs heading
75% similar
headlong vs headline
75% similar

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

Key facts for headlong
PropertyValue
Headwordheadlong
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdverb
IPA/ˈhɛd.lɒŋ/
Letters8
Frequency rank#40,731
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “headlong”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).headlonglands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “Hardie” (#40,729), “Herrick” (#40,733), “hesitating” (#40,734). Among 2,646 “H” headwords, “headlong” is #40,731. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around headlong (IPA /ˈhɛd.lɒŋ/), anadverb. Corpus frequency is #40,731 among 2,646 “H” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for headlong, with forms such as "ehadlong", "haedlong", and "headdlong". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "healing", "heading", "headline", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English hedlong, alteration of hedling, heedling, hevedlynge (“headlong”), assimilated to long. More at headling. The correct English form is headlong, spelled H-E-A-D-L-O-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    With the head first or down.
  2. 2
    With an unrestrained forward motion.
  3. 3
    Rashly; precipitately; without deliberation; in haste, hastily.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. [A] sharp-looking old dame, […] inhabited a "laigh [low] shop," anglicé [in English], a cellar, opening to the High-street by a strait and steep stair, at the bottom of which she sold tape, thread, needles, skeans of worsted, coarse linen cloth, and such feminine gear, to those who had the courage and skill to descend to the profundity of her dwelling, wi…
  2. Figures out today show the economy plunging headlong into recession.

Etymology

From Middle English hedlong, alteration of hedling, heedling, hevedlynge (“headlong”), assimilated to long. More at headling.

Antonyms

arselong

This word in other languages

la tête la première(Français)kopfüber(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ehadlong
  • haedlong
  • headdlong
  • headllong
  • headlnog
  • headlogn
  • headlongg
  • headlonng
  • headolng
  • healdong
  • hedalong
  • hheadlong

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of headlong - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

ehadlong2haedlong2headdlong1headllong1headlnog2headlogn2headlongg1headlonng1
Edit distance from "headlong"

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 "headlong"?
"headlong" is spelled H-E-A-D-L-O-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈhɛd.lɒŋ/.
What does "headlong" mean?
As an adverb, "headlong" means: With the head first or down.
What words are commonly confused with "headlong"?
"headlong" is commonly confused with "healing", "heading", "headline". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "headlong"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "headlong" is /ˈhɛd.lɒŋ/. 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 "headlong"?
From Middle English hedlong, alteration of hedling, heedling, hevedlynge (“headlong”), assimilated to long. More at headling. 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 "headlong", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

homology#40,738gulliver#40,722goalless#40,715iniquity#40,749

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

initiator12 variantsironclad12 variantsfuturist12 variantsforeskin12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list