hermaphrodite
/hɝˈmæfɹədaɪt/
"hermaphrodite" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“hermaphrodite” is an uncommon English word, ranked #54,231 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #54,231
- frequency rank, English
- 13
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A person possessing ambiguous sexual organs or characteristics.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | hermaphrodite |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /hɝˈmæfɹədaɪt/ |
| Letters | 13 |
| Frequency rank | #54,231 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “hermaphrodite” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for hermaphrodite is 13 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /hɝˈmæfɹədaɪt/. Corpus data places it at rank #54,231 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
hermaphrodite doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Hermaphroditus, the mythical son of Hermes and Aphrodite, who merged bodies with a naiad, thereafter having both male and female qualities. The correct English form is hermaphrodite, spelled H-E-R-M-A-P-H-R-O-D-I-T-E.
Definition
- 1A person possessing ambiguous sexual organs or characteristics.
- 2Cosexual: an organism possessing both types of gonads; a flower possessing both stamens and pistils.
- 3Dichogamous: an organism which begins its life as one sex and changes its sex over its life cycle.
- 4A person or thing possessing two opposing qualities.
- 5A hermaphrodite brig.
- 6A farm wagon convertible to multiple purposes.
- 7An armoured fighting vehicle having features of both male tanks and female tanks.
Etymology
From Hermaphroditus, the mythical son of Hermes and Aphrodite, who merged bodies with a naiad, thereafter having both male and female qualities.
Synonyms
This word in other languages
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
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Using “hermaphrodite”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is H-E-R-M-A-P-H-R-O-D-I-T-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /hɝˈmæfɹədaɪt/ (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
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.