herald
/ˈhɛɹəld/noun, verb
herald is spelled H-E-R-A-L-D: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 8.9 times per million words in written English, the 7,672nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, herald means “A messenger, especially one bringing important news” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of herald is heralds.
How many letters and syllables are in herald?
| Letters | 6: H-E-R-A-L-D |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 8.9 times per million words; the 7,672nd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is herald?
Herald appears 8.9 times per million words in written English, the 7,672nd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce herald?
- US /ˈhɛɹəld/
- Australia /ˈheɹəld/
- /ˈhɛɾəld/
Herald has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-herald.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of herald
- heralds plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- heralding participle, present
- heralded participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does herald mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A messenger, especially one bringing important news.
The herald blew his trumpet and shouted that the King was dead.
- 2
A harbinger, giving signs of things to come.
Daffodils and robins are heralds of Spring.
- 3
An official whose speciality is heraldry, especially one between the ranks of pursuivant and king-of-arms
Rouge Dragon is a herald at the College of Arms.
- 4
A moth of the species Scoliopteryx libatrix.
- 5
A handbill consisting of an advertisement.
- 6
Alternative form of hareld (“long-tailed duck”).
verb
- 1
To proclaim or announce an event.
Daffodils herald the Spring.
- 2
To greet something with excitement; to hail.
The film was heralded by critics.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Herald in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | héraut, héraldesse , découpure , annoncer |
| German | Herold, Bote , Motte , Verkündiger , Wappenherold, Wappenausleger |
| Portuguese | arauto, mensageiro |
| Spanish | heraldo , anunciar |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does herald come from?
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.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).