# helper

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈhɛlpɚ/ · frequency rank #16,932

## Definitions
1. One who helps; an aide; assistant; auxiliary.
2. That which helps; anything serving to assist.
3. A person who does cleaning and cooking in a family home, or in a market; domestic employee.
4. A locomotive that assists a train, usually on steep gradients.
5. A stimulating pill, especially amphetamine.

## Etymology
From Middle English helpere, from Old English *helpere, from Proto-West Germanic *helpārī (“helper”), equivalent to help + -er. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Hälper (“helper”), West Frisian helper (“helper”), Dutch helper (“helper”), German Low German Helper (“helper”), German Helfer (“helper”), Danish hjælper (“helper”), Swedish hjälpare (“helper”), Icelandic hjálpar (“helper”).

## Easily confused with
- **helps** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/helper-vs-helps)
- **holder** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/helper-vs-holder)
- **hopper** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/helper-vs-hopper)
- **herpes** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/helper-vs-herpes)
- **hooper** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/helper-vs-hooper)
- **Hester** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/helper-vs-hester)
- **holler** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/helper-vs-holler)
- **Hiller** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/helper-vs-hiller)
- **herder** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/helper-vs-herder)
- **holier** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/helper-vs-holier)
- **help** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/help-vs-helper)
- **Helen** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/helen-vs-helper)
- **helped** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/helped-vs-helper)
- **harper** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/harper-vs-helper)
- **helmet** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/helmet-vs-helper)
- **header** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/header-vs-helper)
- **heater** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/heater-vs-helper)
- **healer** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/healer-vs-helper)
- **heller** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/heller-vs-helper)
- **hamper** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hamper-vs-helper)

## Common misspellings (9)
`ehlper`, `helepr`, `hellper`, `helperr`, `helpper`, `helpre`, `hepler`, `hhelper`, `hleper`

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