hefty

/ˈhɛfti/

//ˈhɛfti// adj

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

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

The verdict

“hefty” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #18,096 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#18,096
frequency rank, English
5
letters
8
tracked misspellings
14
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - With heft; heavy, strong, vigorous, mighty, impressive

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

hefty vs hey
60% similar
hefty vs het
60% similar
hefty vs henry
60% similar

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

Key facts for hefty
PropertyValue
Headwordhefty
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈhɛfti/
Letters5
Frequency rank#18,096
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs14
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “hefty” 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). hefty 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 hefty is 5 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈhɛfti/. Corpus data places it at rank #18,096 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for hefty, with forms such as "ehfty", "heffty", and "heftty". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 14 confusable-pair relationships, "hey", "het", "henry", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: 19th century. From heft (“weight”) + -y. The similarity with German heftig (“vigorous, violent, intense”) is apparently coincidental. From the German are Dutch, Danish, Norwegian heftig, Swedish häftig. The correct English form is hefty, spelled H-E-F-T-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    With heft; heavy, strong, vigorous, mighty, impressive
  2. 2
    Strong; bulky.
  3. 3
    Possessing physical strength and weight; rugged and powerful; powerfully or heavily built.
  4. 4
    Heavy, weighing a lot.
  5. 5
    Large, healthy.

Etymology

19th century. From heft (“weight”) + -y. The similarity with German heftig (“vigorous, violent, intense”) is apparently coincidental. From the German are Dutch, Danish, Norwegian heftig, Swedish häftig.

This word in other languages

pesado(Español)lourd(Français)schwer(Deutsch)pesado(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ehfty,heffty,heftty,heftyy,hefyt,hetfy,hfety,hhefty

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of hefty - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

ehfty2heffty1heftty1heftyy1hefyt2hetfy2hfety2hhefty1
Edit distance from "hefty"

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 "hefty"?
"hefty" is spelled H-E-F-T-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈhɛfti/.
What does "hefty" mean?
As an adjective, "hefty" means: With heft; heavy, strong, vigorous, mighty, impressive
What words are commonly confused with "hefty"?
"hefty" is commonly confused with "hey", "het", "henry". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "hefty"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "hefty" is /ˈhɛfti/. 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 "hefty"?
19th century. From heft (“weight”) + -y. The similarity with German heftig (“vigorous, violent, intense”) is apparently coincidental. From the German are Dutch, Danish, Norwegian heftig, Swedish häftig. 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 “hefty”

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

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