# heathen

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈhiːðən/ · frequency rank #25,405

## Definitions
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).

## Etymology
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.
Cognate with West Frisian heiden, Dutch heiden, Middle High German heiden, German Heiden, German Heide, Swedish heden, Danish hedensk (from heden+sk), Icelandic heiðinn. See also Proto-Germanic *haiduz, Old Norse heiðr (honour, bright, moor), Icelandic heiður (honour).

## Easily confused with
- **heaven** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/heathen-vs-heaven)
- **Heaton** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/heathen-vs-heaton)
- **heather** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/heathen-vs-heather)
- **heathens** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/heathen-vs-heathens)
- **heath** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/heath-vs-heathen)
- **heated** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/heated-vs-heathen)
- **heater** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/heater-vs-heathen)

## Common misspellings (10)
`ehathen`, `haethen`, `heahten`, `heatehn`, `heathenn`, `heathhen`, `heathne`, `heatthen`, `hetahen`, `hheathen`

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