heartstrings
/ˈhɑːtstɹɪŋz/
"heartstrings" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“heartstrings” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #49,970 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #49,970
- frequency rank, English
- 12
- letters
- 20
- tracked misspellings
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The tendons or other structures resembling cords once thought to be attached to, or to brace, the heart; especially the aorta, pulmonary artery, and other large arteries connected to them; also, th...
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | heartstrings |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈhɑːtstɹɪŋz/ |
| Letters | 12 |
| Frequency rank | #49,970 |
| Misspellings tracked | 20 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “heartstrings” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for heartstrings is 12 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈhɑːtstɹɪŋz/. Corpus data places it at rank #49,970 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Our generated misspelling index lists 20 likely wrong-spelling variants for heartstrings, with forms such as "ehartstrings", "haertstrings", and "hearrtstrings". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.
Etymologically, the entry records: PIE word *ḱḗr From Late Middle English hartestrynges, hert strynges, from Middle English herte (“heart”) + strenges, strynges (“cords, strings”). The English word is analysable as heart + strings. The correct English form is heartstrings, spelled H-E-A-R-T-S-T-R-I-N-G-S.
Definition
- 1The tendons or other structures resembling cords once thought to be attached to, or to brace, the heart; especially the aorta, pulmonary artery, and other large arteries connected to them; also, the diaphragm.
- 2Synonym of chordae tendineae (“the cord-like tendons that connect the papillary muscles to the tricuspid valve and the mitral valve in the heart”).
- 3The source of one's deepest emotions or inner feelings, especially compassion or love.
- 4The essential or vital part of something; the core, the essence, the heart.
Etymology
PIE word *ḱḗr From Late Middle English hartestrynges, hert strynges, from Middle English herte (“heart”) + strenges, strynges (“cords, strings”). The English word is analysable as heart + strings.
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: ehartstrings,haertstrings,hearrtstrings,hearsttrings,heartsrtings,heartsstrings,heartstirngs,heartstrigns,heartstringgs,heartstringss,heartstrinngs,heartstrinsg,heartstrnigs,heartstrrings,heartsttrings,hearttsrings,hearttstrings,heatrstrings,heratstrings,hheartstrings
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of heartstrings - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.
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
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Using “heartstrings”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is H-E-A-R-T-S-T-R-I-N-G-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈhɑːtstɹɪŋz/ (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
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.