hetero
/ˈhɛ.tɚ.oʊ/adjective, noun
hetero is spelled H-E-T-E-R-O: 6 letters and 3 syllables. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 39,832nd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, hetero means “Heterosexual: of, pertaining to, or being a heterosexual person” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in hetero?
| Letters | 6: H-E-T-E-R-O |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 3 (from its pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 39,832nd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Same letters |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is hetero?
Hetero appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 39,832nd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce hetero?
- US /ˈhɛ.tɚ.oʊ/
- UK /ˈhɛt.(ə).ɹoʊ/
Hetero has 3 syllables (counted from the pronunciation).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Flame,_not_lame-hetero-.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-hetero.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with hetero?
No other word on PlainSpell ends in the same sounds as hetero (/ɛtəɹoʊ/).
Spelled with the same letters in another order: hereto.
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of hetero
- heter-
- more hetero comparative
- most hetero superlative
- heteros plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does hetero mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
informalHeterosexual: of, pertaining to, or being a heterosexual person.
This novel depicts a hetero couple who are in love.
noun
- 1
informalA heterosexual person.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Hetero in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | hétéro- , hétéro |
| German | hetero- , Hetero, Hetera |
| Portuguese | hetero- , hétero |
| Spanish | hetero- |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does hetero come from?
Clipped from heterosexual.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).