# herpes

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈhɜː(ɹ).piz/ · frequency rank #18,335

## Definitions
1. A viral infection, caused by Human alphaherpesvirus 1 and Human alphaherpesvirus 2, marked by painful, watery blisters in the skin or in the mucous membranes or on the genitals.

## Etymology
From Latin herpēs, from Ancient Greek ἕρπης (hérpēs, “herpes”, literally “a creeping”), from ἕρπειν (hérpein, “to creep”).

## Easily confused with
- **hers** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/herpes-vs-hers)
- **hopes** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/herpes-vs-hopes)
- **horses** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/herpes-vs-horses)
- **Hervey** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/herpes-vs-hervey)
- **here** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/here-vs-herpes)
- **helps** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/helps-vs-herpes)
- **heaps** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/heaps-vs-herpes)
- **hares** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hares-vs-herpes)
- **Harps** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/harps-vs-herpes)
- **here's** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/here-s-vs-herpes)
- **helped** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/helped-vs-herpes)
- **heroes** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/heroes-vs-herpes)
- **harper** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/harper-vs-herpes)
- **helper** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/helper-vs-herpes)
- **heresy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/heresy-vs-herpes)
- **Hermes** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hermes-vs-herpes)
- **hedges** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hedges-vs-herpes)
- **heaped** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/heaped-vs-herpes)
- **herder** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/herder-vs-herpes)

## Common misspellings (9)
`ehrpes`, `hepres`, `hereps`, `herpess`, `herppes`, `herpse`, `herrpes`, `hherpes`, `hrepes`

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