heat wave
/ˈhit weɪv/
"heat-wave" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“heat wave” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 9
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A period of exceptionally hot weather.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | heat wave |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈhit weɪv/ |
| Letters | 9 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “heat wave” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
heat wave is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈhit weɪv/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.
heat wave has no tracked misspelling variants, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct English form is heat wave, spelled H-E-A-T- -W-A-V-E.
Definition
- 1A period of exceptionally hot weather.
- 2A period of exceptionally hot weather.
- 3A period of exceptionally hot weather.
- 4An electromagnetic wave in the infrared spectrum.
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “heat wave”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is H-E-A-T- -W-A-V-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈhit weɪv/ (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.