Hermes

/ˈhɝmiːz/

//ˈhɝmiːz// name

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

"hermes" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“Hermes” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #19,857 in English word frequency and used as a proper noun.

#19,857
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
19
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The herald and messenger of the gods, and the god of roads, commerce, invention, cunning, and theft.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Hermes vs hers
50% similar
Hermes vs homes
50% similar
Hermes vs horses
50% similar

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

Key facts for Hermes
PropertyValue
HeadwordHermes
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˈhɝmiːz/
Letters6
Frequency rank#19,857
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs19
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Hermes” 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). Hermes 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 Hermes is 6 letters long, classified as a proper noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈhɝmiːz/. Corpus data places it at rank #19,857 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 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 Hermes, with forms such as "ehrmes", "hemres", and "herems". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 19 confusable-pair relationships, "hers", "homes", "horses", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From the Ancient Greek Ἑρμῆς (Hermês), itself of disputed meaning and origin, possibly of non-Indo-European substrate origin or from Proto-Indo-European *ser- (“to bind, put together”). The correct English form is Hermes, spelled H-E-R-M-E-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    The herald and messenger of the gods, and the god of roads, commerce, invention, cunning, and theft.
  2. 2
    The Egyptian Thoth, identified with the Greek Hermes.
  3. 3
    The planet Mercury when observed as an evening star.

Etymology

From the Ancient Greek Ἑρμῆς (Hermês), itself of disputed meaning and origin, possibly of non-Indo-European substrate origin or from Proto-Indo-European *ser- (“to bind, put together”).

Synonyms

Mercury

Antonyms

Apollo

This word in other languages

Hermes(Español)Hermès(Français)Hermes(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ehrmes,hemres,herems,hermess,hermmes,hermse,herrmes,hhermes,hremes

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Hermes - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

ehrmes2hemres2herems2hermess1hermmes1hermse2herrmes1hhermes1
Edit distance from "Hermes"

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 "Hermes"?
"Hermes" is spelled H-E-R-M-E-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈhɝmiːz/.
What does "Hermes" mean?
As a proper noun, "Hermes" means: The herald and messenger of the gods, and the god of roads, commerce, invention, cunning, and theft.
What words are commonly confused with "Hermes"?
"Hermes" is commonly confused with "hers", "homes", "horses". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Hermes"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Hermes" is /ˈhɝmiːz/. 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 "Hermes"?
From the Ancient Greek Ἑρμῆς (Hermês), itself of disputed meaning and origin, possibly of non-Indo-European substrate origin or from Proto-Indo-European *ser- (“to bind, put together”). 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 “Hermes”

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

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