herringbone

/ˈhɛɹɪŋˌboʊn/

//ˈhɛɹɪŋˌboʊn// noun

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

"herringbone" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“herringbone” is uncommon English (frequency #63,682 among 23,837 “H” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#63,682
frequency rank, English
23,837
“H” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A bone of a herring.

Key facts for herringbone
PropertyValue
Headwordherringbone
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈhɛɹɪŋˌboʊn/
Letters11
Frequency rank#63,682
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “herringbone” 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). herringbone lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

herringbone is uncommon English at frequency #63,682 among 23,837 “H” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈhɛɹɪŋˌboʊn/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for herringbone in our index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From herring + bone. The correct English form is herringbone, spelled H-E-R-R-I-N-G-B-O-N-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A bone of a herring.
  2. 2
    A zigzag pattern, especially made by bricks, on a cloth, or by stitches in sewing.
  3. 3
    A method of climbing a hill by pointing the skis outward in a V-shape to keep from sliding backwards.
  4. 4
    Twilled fabric woven in rows of parallel sloping lines.

Etymology

From herring + bone.

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 "herringbone"?
"herringbone" is spelled H-E-R-R-I-N-G-B-O-N-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈhɛɹɪŋˌboʊn/.
What does "herringbone" mean?
As a noun, "herringbone" means: A bone of a herring.
How do you pronounce "herringbone"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "herringbone" is /ˈhɛɹɪŋˌboʊn/. 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 "herringbone"?
From herring + bone. 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 “herringbone”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is H-E-R-R-I-N-G-B-O-N-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈhɛɹɪŋˌboʊn/ (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

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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