hedge

/ˈhɛd͡ʒ/

//ˈhɛd͡ʒ// noun

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

"hedge" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“hedge” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #10,554 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#10,554
frequency rank, English
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
18
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A thicket of bushes or other shrubbery, especially one planted as a fence between two portions of land, or to separate the parts of a garden.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

hedge vs hee
60% similar
hedge vs here
60% similar
hedge vs huge
60% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for hedge
PropertyValue
Headwordhedge
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈhɛd͡ʒ/
Letters5
Frequency rank#10,554
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs18
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “hedge” 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). hedge lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for hedge is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈhɛd͡ʒ/. Corpus data places it at rank #10,554 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for hedge, with forms such as "ehdge", "hdege", and "heddge". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 18 confusable-pair relationships, "hee", "here", "huge", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English hegge, from Old English heċġ, from Proto-West Germanic *haggju, from Proto-Germanic *hagjō, from Proto-Indo-European *kagʰyóm (“enclosure”). Cognate with Dutch heg, German Hecke. Doublet of hey (a choreographic figure) and quay. More at … The correct English form is hedge, spelled H-E-D-G-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A thicket of bushes or other shrubbery, especially one planted as a fence between two portions of land, or to separate the parts of a garden.
  2. 2
    A barrier (often consisting of a line of persons or objects) to protect someone or something from harm.
  3. 3
    A mound of earth, stone- or turf-faced, often topped with bushes, used as a fence between any two portions of land.
  4. 4
    A noncommittal or intentionally ambiguous statement.
  5. 5
    Contract or arrangement reducing one's exposure to risk (for example the risk of price movements or interest rate movements).
  6. 6
    With indication of a person's upbringing, or professional activities, taking place by the side of the road; being third-rate, poor, shoddy.

Etymology

From Middle English hegge, from Old English heċġ, from Proto-West Germanic *haggju, from Proto-Germanic *hagjō, from Proto-Indo-European *kagʰyóm (“enclosure”). Cognate with Dutch heg, German Hecke. Doublet of hey (a choreographic figure) and quay. More at haw.

This word in other languages

seto(Español)haie(Français)Hecke(Deutsch)sebe(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ehdge,hdege,heddge,hedeg,hedgge,hegde,hhedge

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ehdge2hdege2heddge1hedeg2hedgge1hegde2hhedge1
Edit distance from "hedge"

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 "hedge"?
"hedge" is spelled H-E-D-G-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈhɛd͡ʒ/.
What does "hedge" mean?
As a noun, "hedge" means: A thicket of bushes or other shrubbery, especially one planted as a fence between two portions of land, or to separate the parts of a garden.
What words are commonly confused with "hedge"?
"hedge" is commonly confused with "hee", "here", "huge". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "hedge"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "hedge" is /ˈhɛd͡ʒ/. 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 "hedge"?
From Middle English hegge, from Old English heċġ, from Proto-West Germanic *haggju, from Proto-Germanic *hagjō, from Proto-Indo-European *kagʰyóm (“enclosure”). Cognate with Dutch heg, German Hecke. Doublet of hey (a choreographic figure) and quay... 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 “hedge”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is H-E-D-G-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈhɛd͡ʒ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “hee” - see the side-by-side comparison. hedge vs hee
  • 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.

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

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