hermetic

/hə(ɹ)ˈmɛtɪk/

//hə(ɹ)ˈmɛtɪk// adj

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

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

The verdict

“hermetic” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #49,390. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#49,390
frequency rank, English
2,646
“H” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Pertaining to the ancient Greek Olympian god Hermes.

Corpus desk

Index EN-hermetic · hermetic · English

hermetic · rank #49,390 · 12 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #49,390
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,646
  • PHOTO-FINISH Henny

Nearest frequency peer: Henny (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “hermetic”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “hermetic” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

hermetic vs heretic
88% similar

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

Key facts for hermetic
PropertyValue
Headwordhermetic
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/hə(ɹ)ˈmɛtɪk/
Letters8
Frequency rank#49,390
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “hermetic”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).hermeticlands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “Henny” (#49,389), “Hessian” (#49,391), “hic” (#49,392). Among 2,646 “H” headwords, “hermetic” is #49,390. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around hermetic (IPA /hə(ɹ)ˈmɛtɪk/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #49,390 among 2,646 “H” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for hermetic, with forms such as "ehrmetic", "hemretic", and "heremtic". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "heretic", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Medieval Latin hermeticus, irregular derivation of Hermes Trismegistus, the god and mythological alchemist, said to possess a magic ability to seal treasure chests so that nothing could access their contents. The correct English form is hermetic, spelled H-E-R-M-E-T-I-C.

Definition

  1. 1
    Pertaining to the ancient Greek Olympian god Hermes.
  2. 2
    Pertaining to Hermes Trismegistus or the writings attributed to him.
  3. 3
    One who follows/worships Hermes.
  4. 4
    Pertaining to alchemy or occult practices; magical, alchemical.
  5. 5
    Hermetically sealed.
  6. 6
    Isolated, away from outside influence.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how hermetic appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. "As above, so below" is an axiom from Hermetic mysticism, and in this Hermetic vision of physiology the tongue is connected through the spinal column to the penis.
  2. Newton subscribed to the hermetic notion that the true knowledge of the universe had been earlier revealed by God to the ancients, the prisci theologi.

Etymology

From Medieval Latin hermeticus, irregular derivation of Hermes Trismegistus, the god and mythological alchemist, said to possess a magic ability to seal treasure chests so that nothing could access their contents.

This word in other languages

hermético(Español)hermétique(Français)hermetisch(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ehrmetic
  • hemretic
  • heremtic
  • hermeitc
  • hermetci
  • hermeticc
  • hermettic
  • hermmetic
  • hermteic
  • herrmetic
  • hhermetic
  • hremetic

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of hermetic - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

ehrmetic2hemretic2heremtic2hermeitc2hermetci2hermeticc1hermettic1hermmetic1
Edit distance from "hermetic"

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 "hermetic"?
"hermetic" is spelled H-E-R-M-E-T-I-C. The IPA pronunciation is /hə(ɹ)ˈmɛtɪk/.
What does "hermetic" mean?
As an adjective, "hermetic" means: Pertaining to the ancient Greek Olympian god Hermes.
What words are commonly confused with "hermetic"?
"hermetic" is commonly confused with "heretic". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "hermetic"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "hermetic" is /hə(ɹ)ˈmɛtɪk/. 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 "hermetic"?
From Medieval Latin hermeticus, irregular derivation of Hermes Trismegistus, the god and mythological alchemist, said to possess a magic ability to seal treasure chests so that nothing could access their contents. 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "hermetic", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

hijacker#49,393hurtling#49,409gravelly#49,366glabrous#49,359

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

Hornsby12 variantsFrançaise12 variantsknitwear12 variantsLeninism12 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list