# heredity

> English word · Noun · IPA /hɪˈɹɛdɪti/ · frequency rank #48,797

## Definitions
1. Hereditary transmission of the physical and genetic qualities of parents to their offspring; the biological law by which living beings tend to repeat their characteristics in their descendants.

## Etymology
From Middle French heredité, from Latin hērēditas (“condition of being an heir”), from hēres (“heir”).

## Easily confused with
- **hereditary** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hereditary-vs-heredity)

## Common misspellings (12)
`ehredity`, `heerdity`, `herdeity`, `hereddity`, `hereditty`, `heredityy`, `herediyt`, `heredtiy`, `hereidty`, `herredity`, `hheredity`, `hreedity`

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