heathen
/ˈhiːðən/adjective, noun
heathen is spelled H-E-A-T-H-E-N: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 1.3 times per million words in written English, the 25,367th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, heathen means “Not adhering to an Abrahamic religion; pagan” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in heathen?
| Letters | 7: H-E-A-T-H-E-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.3 times per million words; the 25,367th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is heathen?
Heathen appears 1.3 times per million words in written English, the 25,367th 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).
How do you pronounce heathen?
- /ˈhiːðən/
Heathen has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-heathen.ogg, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-Heathen.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of heathen
- heathener comparative
- more heathen comparative
- heathenest superlative
- most heathen superlative
- heathens plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does heathen mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Not adhering to an Abrahamic religion; pagan.
- 2
Uncultured; uncivilized; savage; barbarian.
- 3
Alternative letter-case form of Heathen (pertaining or adhering to the Germanic neo-pagan faith Heathenry).
noun
- 1
A pagan; someone who is neither Christian, Jewish, nor Muslim (other Abrahamic or monotheistic religions may or may not be included)
V. Knox If it is no more than a moral discourse, he may preach it and they may hear it, and yet both continue unconverted heathens.
- 2
An uncultured or uncivilized person, philistine.
- 3
Alternative letter-case form of Heathen (an adherent of the Germanic neo-pagan faith of Heathenry).
adjective
- 1
Pertaining or adhering to the Germanic neo-pagan faith Heathenry.
noun
- 1
An adherent of the Germanic neo-pagan faith of Heathenry.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Heathen in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | païen , barbare , païenne , sauvage |
| German | heidnisch , barbarisch, unzivilisiert , Heide, Heidin , Barbar |
| Portuguese | pagão , pagã , bárbaro |
| Spanish | pagano |
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 heathen come from?
From Middle English hethen, from Old English hǣþen, from Proto-West Germanic *haiþin, from Proto-Germanic *haiþīnaz (“heathen, pagan”, adjective), equivalent to heath (“heathland”) + -en.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).