# heartbeat

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈhɑːtˌbiːt/ · frequency rank #11,718

## Definitions
1. One pulsation of the heart; especially an irregular one, hence the emotion which causes it.
2. The rhythm at which a heart pulsates, a cardiac indicator.
3. A driving impulse or vital force; the vital center of something.
4. A very short space of time; an instant.
5. A periodic signal generated by hardware or software to indicate normal operation or to synchronize other parts of a system.

## Etymology
From heart + beat.

## Easily confused with
- **heartfelt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/heartbeat-vs-heartfelt)
- **heartbreak** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/heartbeat-vs-heartbreak)

## Common misspellings (13)
`ehartbeat`, `haertbeat`, `hearbteat`, `hearrtbeat`, `heartbaet`, `heartbbeat`, `heartbeatt`, `heartbeta`, `heartebat`, `hearttbeat`, `heatrbeat`, `heratbeat`, `hheartbeat`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/heartbeat