heritage

/ˈhɛɹ.ɪ.tɪd͡ʒ/

//ˈhɛɹ.ɪ.tɪd͡ʒ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“heritage” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #3,886 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#3,886
frequency rank, English
8
letters
11
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An inheritance; property that may be inherited.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

heritage vs hesitate
75% similar
heritage vs hermitage
89% similar

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

Key facts for heritage
PropertyValue
Headwordheritage
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈhɛɹ.ɪ.tɪd͡ʒ/
Letters8
Frequency rank#3,886
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “heritage” 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). heritage 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 heritage is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈhɛɹ.ɪ.tɪd͡ʒ/. Corpus data places it at rank #3,886 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 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for heritage, with forms such as "ehritage", "heirtage", and "heriatge". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "hesitate", "hermitage", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English heritage, from Old French eritage, heritage (modern French héritage), ultimately derived (through suffixation) from Latin hērēs. By surface analysis, herit + -age. The correct English form is heritage, spelled H-E-R-I-T-A-G-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    An inheritance; property that may be inherited.
  2. 2
    A tradition; a practice or set of values that is passed down from preceding generations through families or through institutional memory.
  3. 3
    A birthright; the status acquired by birth, especially of but not exclusive to the firstborn.
  4. 4
    Having a certain background, such as growing up with a second language.

Etymology

From Middle English heritage, from Old French eritage, heritage (modern French héritage), ultimately derived (through suffixation) from Latin hērēs. By surface analysis, herit + -age.

This word in other languages

herencia(Español)héritage(Français)Erbschaft(Deutsch)herança(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ehritage,heirtage,heriatge,heritaeg,heritagge,heritgae,herittage,herritage,hertiage,hheritage,hreitage

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ehritage2heirtage2heriatge2heritaeg2heritagge1heritgae2herittage1herritage1
Edit distance from "heritage"

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 "heritage"?
"heritage" is spelled H-E-R-I-T-A-G-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈhɛɹ.ɪ.tɪd͡ʒ/.
What does "heritage" mean?
As a noun, "heritage" means: An inheritance; property that may be inherited.
What words are commonly confused with "heritage"?
"heritage" is commonly confused with "hesitate", "hermitage". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "heritage"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "heritage" is /ˈhɛɹ.ɪ.tɪd͡ʒ/. 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 "heritage"?
From Middle English heritage, from Old French eritage, heritage (modern French héritage), ultimately derived (through suffixation) from Latin hērēs. By surface analysis, herit + -age. 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 “heritage”

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

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