headteacher
noun
headteacher is spelled H-E-A-D-T-E-A-C-H-E-R: 11 letters. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 42,680th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, headteacher means “The most senior teacher in a school who is responsible for its management and administration” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of headteacher is headteachers.
How many letters and syllables are in headteacher?
| Letters | 11: H-E-A-D-T-E-A-C-H-E-R |
|---|---|
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 42,680th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is headteacher?
Headteacher appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 42,680th 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).
Words people confuse with headteacher
Also written: head teacher (one word or two).
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of headteacher
- headteachers plural
- head teacher
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does headteacher mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
IrelandUKThe most senior teacher in a school who is responsible for its management and administration.
I had to go and see the headteacher about my attitude.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Headteacher in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense the most senior teacher in a school:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | directeur, directrice, proviseur, proviseuse (lycée) |
| German | Schulleiter, Schulleiterin |
| Portuguese | diretor, diretora |
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 headteacher come from?
From head + teacher.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).