hence

/ˈhɛns/

//ˈhɛns// adv

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

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

The verdict

“hence” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #3,759 in English word frequency and used as an adverb.

#3,759
frequency rank, English
5
letters
8
tracked misspellings
17
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - From here, from this place, away.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

hence vs here
60% similar
hence vs hone
60% similar
hence vs henry
60% similar

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

Key facts for hence
PropertyValue
Headwordhence
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdverb
IPA/ˈhɛns/
Letters5
Frequency rank#3,759
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs17
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “hence” 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). hence 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 hence is 5 letters long, classified as an adverb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈhɛns/. Corpus data places it at rank #3,759 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 4 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 hence, with forms such as "ehnce", "hance", and "hecne". 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 17 confusable-pair relationships, "here", "hone", "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: A later Middle English spelling, retaining the voiceless -s, of hennes (henne + adverbial genitive ending -s), from Old English heonan (“away", "hence”), from a Proto-West Germanic *hin-, from Proto-Germanic *hiz, and Proto-Germanic *-anē. Cognate with Old … The correct English form is hence, spelled H-E-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    From here, from this place, away.
  2. 2
    From the living or from this world.
  3. 3
    In the future from now.
  4. 4
    As a result; therefore, for this reason.

Etymology

A later Middle English spelling, retaining the voiceless -s, of hennes (henne + adverbial genitive ending -s), from Old English heonan (“away", "hence”), from a Proto-West Germanic *hin-, from Proto-Germanic *hiz, and Proto-Germanic *-anē. Cognate with Old Saxon hinan, Old High German hinnan (German hinnen), Dutch heen, Swedish hän. Related to Old English her (“here”).

Antonyms

hither

This word in other languages

por lo tanto(Español)d'ici(Français)fort(Deutsch)daqui(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ehnce,hance,hecne,hencce,henec,hennce,hhence,hnece

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of hence - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ehnce2hance1hecne2hencce1henec2hennce1hhence1hnece2
Edit distance from "hence"

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 "hence"?
"hence" is spelled H-E-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈhɛns/.
What does "hence" mean?
As an adverb, "hence" means: From here, from this place, away.
What words are commonly confused with "hence"?
"hence" is commonly confused with "here", "hone", "henry". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "hence"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "hence" is /ˈhɛns/. 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 "hence"?
A later Middle English spelling, retaining the voiceless -s, of hennes (henne + adverbial genitive ending -s), from Old English heonan (“away", "hence”), from a Proto-West Germanic *hin-, from Proto-Germanic *hiz, and Proto-Germanic *-anē. Cognate... 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 “hence”

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

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