henchman

/ˈhɛnt͡ʃ.mən/

//ˈhɛnt͡ʃ.mən// noun

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

"henchman" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“henchman” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #32,435. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#32,435
frequency rank, English
23,837
“H” headwords
13
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A loyal and trusted follower or subordinate.

Key facts for henchman
PropertyValue
Headwordhenchman
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈhɛnt͡ʃ.mən/
Letters8
Frequency rank#32,435
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “henchman” 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). henchman lands here:

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

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

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around henchman (IPA /ˈhɛnt͡ʃ.mən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #32,435 among 23,837 “H” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for henchman, with forms such as "ehnchman", "hecnhman", and "hencchman". 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. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English henxman (“page, attendant”), from Old English *hengstmann, *hengestmann (“groom”, literally “horseman”), from hengst, hengest (“stallion, horse, steed, gelding”) (from Proto-Germanic *hangistaz (“stallion”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱan… The correct English form is henchman, spelled H-E-N-C-H-M-A-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A loyal and trusted follower or subordinate.
  2. 2
    A person who supports a political figure chiefly out of selfish interests.
  3. 3
    An assistant member of a criminal gang.
  4. 4
    A page to a prince or other person of high rank.

Etymology

From Middle English henxman (“page, attendant”), from Old English *hengstmann, *hengestmann (“groom”, literally “horseman”), from hengst, hengest (“stallion, horse, steed, gelding”) (from Proto-Germanic *hangistaz (“stallion”), from Proto-Indo-European *ḱanḱest-, *kankest- (“horse”)) + mann (“man”). Cognate with archaic German Hengstmann (“a groom”), Icelandic hestamaður (“horseman, groom”).

This word in other languages

esbirro(Español)sbire(Français)Handlanger(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ehnchman
  • hecnhman
  • hencchman
  • henchamn
  • henchhman
  • henchmann
  • henchmman
  • henchmna
  • hencmhan
  • henhcman
  • hennchman
  • hhenchman
  • hnechman

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ehnchman2hecnhman2hencchman1henchamn2henchhman1henchmann1henchmman1henchmna2
Edit distance from "henchman"

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 "henchman"?
"henchman" is spelled H-E-N-C-H-M-A-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈhɛnt͡ʃ.mən/.
What does "henchman" mean?
As a noun, "henchman" means: A loyal and trusted follower or subordinate.
What are common misspellings of "henchman"?
Common misspellings include "ehnchman", "hecnhman", "hencchman", "henchamn", "henchhman". The correct spelling is "henchman".
How do you pronounce "henchman"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "henchman" is /ˈhɛnt͡ʃ.mən/. 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 "henchman"?
From Middle English henxman (“page, attendant”), from Old English *hengstmann, *hengestmann (“groom”, literally “horseman”), from hengst, hengest (“stallion, horse, steed, gelding”) (from Proto-Germanic *hangistaz (“stallion”), from Proto-Indo-Eur... 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 “henchman”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is H-E-N-C-H-M-A-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈhɛnt͡ʃ.mən/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

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