headquarters

/ˌhɛdˈkwɔː.təz/

//ˌhɛdˈkwɔː.təz// noun

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

"headquarters" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“headquarters” has 18 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #3,885. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#3,885
frequency rank, English
2,646
“H” headwords
18
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The military installation from which troops are commanded and orders are issued; the military unit consisting of a commander and his support staff.

Corpus desk

Index EN-headquarters · headquarters · English

headquarters · rank #3,885 · 18 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #3,885
  • LEN-MEGA 12 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 18 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,646
  • PHOTO-FINISH glory

Nearest frequency peer: glory (-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 “headquarters”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “headquarters” 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
Key facts for headquarters
PropertyValue
Headwordheadquarters
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌhɛdˈkwɔː.təz/
Letters12
Frequency rank#3,885
Misspellings tracked18
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “headquarters”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).headquarterslands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “glory” (#3,884), “heritage” (#3,886), “gene” (#3,883). Among 2,646 “H” headwords, “headquarters” is #3,885. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 18 spelling variants around headquarters (IPA /ˌhɛdˈkwɔː.təz/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #3,885 among 2,646 “H” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 18 likely wrong-spelling variants for headquarters, with forms such as "ehadquarters", "haedquarters", and "headdquarters". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From head + quarters. The correct English form is headquarters, spelled H-E-A-D-Q-U-A-R-T-E-R-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    The military installation from which troops are commanded and orders are issued; the military unit consisting of a commander and his support staff.
  2. 2
    The center of an organization's operations or administration.
  3. 3
    A place of concentrated activity or influence.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. As though on an incendiary rampage, the fires systematically devoured the contents of Edison's headquarters and facilities.
  2. The chicken chain’s parent company, Yum Brands, announced Tuesday that KFC’s corporate headquarters is leaving Kentucky for Texas, joining sister brand Pizza Hut’s offices in the Dallas suburb of Plano.

Etymology

From head + quarters.

Synonyms

HQh.q.head office

This word in other languages

sede(Español)quartier général(Français)Hauptquartier(Deutsch)sede(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ehadquarters
  • haedquarters
  • headdquarters
  • headqaurters
  • headqquarters
  • headquaretrs
  • headquarrters
  • headquarterrs
  • headquarterss
  • headquartesr
  • headquartres
  • headquartters
  • headquatrers
  • headquraters
  • headuqarters
  • heaqduarters
  • hedaquarters
  • hheadquarters

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ehadquarters2haedquarters2headdquarters1headqaurters2headqquarters1headquaretrs2headquarrters1headquarterrs1
Edit distance from "headquarters"

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 "headquarters"?
"headquarters" is spelled H-E-A-D-Q-U-A-R-T-E-R-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌhɛdˈkwɔː.təz/.
What does "headquarters" mean?
As a noun, "headquarters" means: The military installation from which troops are commanded and orders are issued; the military unit consisting of a commander and his support staff.
What are common misspellings of "headquarters"?
Common misspellings include "ehadquarters", "haedquarters", "headdquarters", "headqaurters", "headqquarters". The correct spelling is "headquarters".
How do you pronounce "headquarters"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "headquarters" is /ˌhɛdˈkwɔː.təz/. 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 "headquarters"?
From head + quarters. 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 "headquarters", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 12 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

organisation#3,897representing#3,903universities#3,916instructions#3,820

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (18 here; floor ≥5).

destruction18 variantsconsumption18 variantsagricultural18 variantsphotographs18 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list