heartburn

/ˈhɑːtˌbɜːn/

//ˈhɑːtˌbɜːn// noun

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

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

The verdict

“heartburn” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #34,101. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#34,101
frequency rank, English
23,837
“H” headwords
14
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A burning pain in the chest that is caused by stomach acid entering the gullet.

Key facts for heartburn
PropertyValue
Headwordheartburn
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈhɑːtˌbɜːn/
Letters9
Frequency rank#34,101
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “heartburn” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around heartburn (IPA /ˈhɑːtˌbɜːn/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #34,101 among 23,837 “H” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for heartburn, with forms such as "ehartburn", "haertburn", and "hearbturn". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English hertbryne, herte-bren (“lust", also "heartburn”, literally “heart burn”), equivalent to heart + burn. Compare also Middle English herte-brennyng (“anger, bitterness, heartburn”, literally “burning of/in the heart, heart-burning”). Compar… The correct English form is heartburn, spelled H-E-A-R-T-B-U-R-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A burning pain in the chest that is caused by stomach acid entering the gullet.
  2. 2
    annoyance, heartache, or similar feelings.

Etymology

From Middle English hertbryne, herte-bren (“lust", also "heartburn”, literally “heart burn”), equivalent to heart + burn. Compare also Middle English herte-brennyng (“anger, bitterness, heartburn”, literally “burning of/in the heart, heart-burning”). Compare also Ancient Greek καρδιαλγία (kardialgía), from καρδία (kardía, “heart”) + ἄλγος (álgos, “pain”). From being a burning sensation near the location of the heart in the chest.

This word in other languages

agriera(Español)brûlures d'estomac(Français)Sodbrennen(Deutsch)azia(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ehartburn
  • haertburn
  • hearbturn
  • hearrtburn
  • heartbburn
  • heartbrun
  • heartbunr
  • heartburnn
  • heartburrn
  • hearttburn
  • heartubrn
  • heatrburn
  • heratburn
  • hheartburn

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ehartburn2haertburn2hearbturn2hearrtburn1heartbburn1heartbrun2heartbunr2heartburnn1
Edit distance from "heartburn"

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 "heartburn"?
"heartburn" is spelled H-E-A-R-T-B-U-R-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈhɑːtˌbɜːn/.
What does "heartburn" mean?
As a noun, "heartburn" means: A burning pain in the chest that is caused by stomach acid entering the gullet.
What are common misspellings of "heartburn"?
Common misspellings include "ehartburn", "haertburn", "hearbturn", "hearrtburn", "heartbburn". The correct spelling is "heartburn".
How do you pronounce "heartburn"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "heartburn" is /ˈhɑːtˌbɜːn/. 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 "heartburn"?
From Middle English hertbryne, herte-bren (“lust", also "heartburn”, literally “heart burn”), equivalent to heart + burn. Compare also Middle English herte-brennyng (“anger, bitterness, heartburn”, literally “burning of/in the heart, heart-burning... 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.

Using “heartburn”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is H-E-A-R-T-B-U-R-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈhɑːtˌbɜːn/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list