herald

Name: herald, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/ˈhɛɹ.əld/

//ˈhɛɹ.əld// noun

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“herald” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #7,695 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#7,695
frequency rank, English: 6
letters: 9
tracked misspellings: 13
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A messenger, especially one bringing important news.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

herald vs herd

67% similar

herald vs Herod

50% similar

herald vs Herat

50% similar

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

Key facts for herald
Property	Value
Headword	herald
Language	English
Part of speech	Noun
IPA	/ˈhɛɹ.əld/
Letters	6
Frequency rank	#7,695
Misspellings tracked	9
Confusable pairs	13
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “herald” 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). herald lands here:

#7,695

#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 herald is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈhɛɹ.əld/. Corpus data places it at rank #7,695 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for herald, with forms such as "ehrald", "hearld", and "heradl". 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 13 confusable-pair relationships, "herd", "Herod", "Herat", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin heraldus, from Middle English herald, herauld, heraud, from Anglo-Norman heraud, from Old French heraut, hiraut (modern French héraut), from Frankish *heriwald, from Proto-Germanic *harjawaldaz, a compound consisting of Proto-Indo-European *ker- … The correct English form is herald, spelled H-E-R-A-L-D.

Definition

1
A messenger, especially one bringing important news.
2
A harbinger, giving signs of things to come.
3
An official whose speciality is heraldry, especially one between the ranks of pursuivant and king-of-arms
4
A moth of the species Scoliopteryx libatrix.
5
A handbill consisting of an advertisement.

Etymology

From Latin heraldus, from Middle English herald, herauld, heraud, from Anglo-Norman heraud, from Old French heraut, hiraut (modern French héraut), from Frankish *heriwald, from Proto-Germanic *harjawaldaz, a compound consisting of Proto-Indo-European *ker- (“army”) + *h₂welh₁- (“to be strong”). Doublet of Harold and Harald; compare Walter, which has these elements reversed.

This word in other languages

heraldo(Español)héraut(Français)Herold(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ehrald,hearld,heradl,heraldd,heralld,herlad,herrald,hherald,hreald

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

Edit distance from "herald"

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 "herald"?

"herald" is spelled H-E-R-A-L-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈhɛɹ.əld/.

What does "herald" mean?

As a noun, "herald" means: A messenger, especially one bringing important news.

What words are commonly confused with "herald"?

"herald" is commonly confused with "herd", "Herod", "Herat". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.

How do you pronounce "herald"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "herald" is /ˈhɛɹ.əld/. 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 "herald"?

From Latin heraldus, from Middle English herald, herauld, heraud, from Anglo-Norman heraud, from Old French heraut, hiraut (modern French héraut), from Frankish *heriwald, from Proto-Germanic *harjawaldaz, a compound consisting of Proto-Indo-Europ... 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 “herald”

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

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