hers

/ˈhɜːz/

//ˈhɜːz// pron

"hers" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“hers” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #7,460 in English word frequency and used as a pronoun.

#7,460
frequency rank, English
4
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - That or those belonging to her; the possessive case of she, used without a following noun.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

hers vs HR
0% similar
hers vs his
50% similar
hers vs hey
50% similar

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

Key facts for hers
PropertyValue
Headwordhers
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechPronoun
IPA/ˈhɜːz/
Letters4
Frequency rank#7,460
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “hers” 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). hers 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 hers is 4 letters long, classified as a pronoun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈhɜːz/. Corpus data places it at rank #7,460 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for hers, with forms such as "ehrs", "herrs", and "herss". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "HR", "his", "hey", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English hires, heres, hers, attested since the 1300s. Equivalent to her + -s (compare -'s). The correct English form is hers, spelled H-E-R-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    That or those belonging to her; the possessive case of she, used without a following noun.
  2. 2
    Her house or home.

Etymology

From Middle English hires, heres, hers, attested since the 1300s. Equivalent to her + -s (compare -'s).

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ehrs,herrs,herss,hesr,hhers,hres

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of hers - 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.

ehrs2herrs1herss1hesr2hhers1hres2
Edit distance from "hers"

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 "hers"?
"hers" is spelled H-E-R-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈhɜːz/.
What does "hers" mean?
As a pronoun, "hers" means: That or those belonging to her; the possessive case of she, used without a following noun.
What words are commonly confused with "hers"?
"hers" is commonly confused with "HR", "his", "hey". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "hers"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "hers" is /ˈhɜːz/. 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 "hers"?
From Middle English hires, heres, hers, attested since the 1300s. Equivalent to her + -s (compare -'s). 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 “hers”

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

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