heterosexual

/ˌhɛtəɹəˈsɛkʃuəl/

//ˌhɛtəɹəˈsɛkʃuəl// adj

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

"heterosexual" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“heterosexual” has 17 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #17,380. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#17,380
frequency rank, English
2,646
“H” headwords
17
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Sexually attracted to members of the opposite sex.

Corpus desk

Index EN-heterosexual · heterosexual · English

heterosexual · rank #17,380 · 17 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #17,380
  • LEN-MEGA 12 letters
  • VOW-6 6 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 17 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,646
  • PHOTO-FINISH heist

Nearest frequency peer: heist (-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 “heterosexual”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “heterosexual” 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
Key facts for heterosexual
PropertyValue
Headwordheterosexual
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˌhɛtəɹəˈsɛkʃuəl/
Letters12
Frequency rank#17,380
Misspellings tracked17
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “heterosexual”

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

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “heist” (#17,379), “Hewitt” (#17,381), “heartbreak” (#17,378). Among 2,646 “H” headwords, “heterosexual” is #17,380. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 17 spelling variants around heterosexual (IPA /ˌhɛtəɹəˈsɛkʃuəl/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #17,380 among 2,646 “H” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 17 likely wrong-spelling variants for heterosexual, with forms such as "ehterosexual", "heetrosexual", and "heteorsexual". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From hetero- + -sexual. Earliest citation from 1892, in C.G. Craddock's translation of Krafft-Ebbing's Psychopathia Sexualis. The correct English form is heterosexual, spelled H-E-T-E-R-O-S-E-X-U-A-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Sexually attracted to members of the opposite sex.
  2. 2
    Between two people of different sex.
  3. 3
    Having a sexual desire for the opposite sex seen as unhealthy, including a proclivity for nonreproductive sex.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Thai charter court rules that only heterosexual marriages are constitutional: Same-sex marriage in Thailand will have to wait, as the Constitutional Court ruled unanimously today (Wednesday) that Section 1448 of the Civil and Commercial Code, defining marriage as being a union between a man and a woman, is constitutional.
  2. Early Adolescence. This is the high school period between 14 and 17 years of age. This is a confusing and stressful period for the teenager, because sexual impulses are now quite strong in spite of societal sanctions against heterosexual activity.

Etymology

From hetero- + -sexual. Earliest citation from 1892, in C.G. Craddock's translation of Krafft-Ebbing's Psychopathia Sexualis.

Synonyms

straightheterohettyother-sexheterosexualstraggotbreeder

Antonyms

homosexual

This word in other languages

heterosexual(Español)hétérosexuel(Français)heterosexuell(Deutsch)heterossexual(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ehterosexual
  • heetrosexual
  • heteorsexual
  • heteroesxual
  • heteroseuxal
  • heterosexaul
  • heterosexuall
  • heterosexula
  • heterosexxual
  • heterossexual
  • heterosxeual
  • heterrosexual
  • hetersoexual
  • hetreosexual
  • hetterosexual
  • hheterosexual
  • hteerosexual

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of heterosexual - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ehterosexual2heetrosexual2heteorsexual2heteroesxual2heteroseuxal2heterosexaul2heterosexuall1heterosexula2
Edit distance from "heterosexual"

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 "heterosexual"?
"heterosexual" is spelled H-E-T-E-R-O-S-E-X-U-A-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌhɛtəɹəˈsɛkʃuəl/.
What does "heterosexual" mean?
As an adjective, "heterosexual" means: Sexually attracted to members of the opposite sex.
What are common misspellings of "heterosexual"?
Common misspellings include "ehterosexual", "heetrosexual", "heteorsexual", "heteroesxual", "heteroseuxal". The correct spelling is "heterosexual".
How do you pronounce "heterosexual"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "heterosexual" is /ˌhɛtəɹəˈsɛkʃuəl/. 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 "heterosexual"?
From hetero- + -sexual. Earliest citation from 1892, in C.G. Craddock's translation of Krafft-Ebbing's Psychopathia Sexualis. 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 "heterosexual", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 12 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

intermittent#17,391intimidation#17,392conglomerate#17,330subconscious#17,505

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (17 here; floor ≥5).

cornerstone17 variantsplaywright17 variantssomething's17 variantsSmithsonian17 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list