headstone

/ˈhɛdstoʊn/

//ˈhɛdstoʊn// noun

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

"headstone" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“headstone” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #38,881. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#38,881
frequency rank, English
2,646
“H” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A gravestone, a grave marker: a monument traditionally made of stone placed at the head of a grave.

Corpus desk

Index EN-headstone · headstone · English

headstone · rank #38,881 · 13 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #38,881
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,646
  • PHOTO-FINISH hatcher

Nearest frequency peer: hatcher (-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 “headstone”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “headstone” 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).

headstone vs headstrong
80% similar
headstone vs headphone
78% similar

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

Key facts for headstone
PropertyValue
Headwordheadstone
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈhɛdstoʊn/
Letters9
Frequency rank#38,881
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “headstone”

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “hatcher” (#38,880), “heil” (#38,882), “Harriman” (#38,879). Among 2,646 “H” headwords, “headstone” is #38,881. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around headstone (IPA /ˈhɛdstoʊn/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #38,881 among 2,646 “H” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for headstone, with forms such as "ehadstone", "haedstone", and "headdstone". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "headstrong", "headphone", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From head + stone. The correct English form is headstone, spelled H-E-A-D-S-T-O-N-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A gravestone, a grave marker: a monument traditionally made of stone placed at the head of a grave.
  2. 2
    The cornerstone or principal stone of a building.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. He called the contractor and ordered a replacement headstone with a new inscription.

Etymology

From head + stone.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ehadstone
  • haedstone
  • headdstone
  • headsotne
  • headsstone
  • headstnoe
  • headstoen
  • headstonne
  • headsttone
  • headtsone
  • heasdtone
  • hedastone
  • hheadstone

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of headstone - 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.

ehadstone2haedstone2headdstone1headsotne2headsstone1headstnoe2headstoen2headstonne1
Edit distance from "headstone"

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 "headstone"?
"headstone" is spelled H-E-A-D-S-T-O-N-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈhɛdstoʊn/.
What does "headstone" mean?
As a noun, "headstone" means: A gravestone, a grave marker: a monument traditionally made of stone placed at the head of a grave.
What words are commonly confused with "headstone"?
"headstone" is commonly confused with "headstrong", "headphone". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "headstone"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "headstone" is /ˈhɛdstoʊn/. 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 "headstone"?
From head + stone. 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 "headstone", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

immediacy#38,897Galbraith#38,856instigate#38,909Israelite#38,917

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

Hitchens13 variantsfreshest13 variantsflywheel13 variantsestimator13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list