hexadecimal

/ˌhɛksəˈdɛsɪməl/

//ˌhɛksəˈdɛsɪməl// noun

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

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

The verdict

“hexadecimal” is uncommon English (frequency #58,074 among 2,646 “H” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#58,074
frequency rank, English
2,646
“H” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A number system with base sixteen, using the digits 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, A, B, C, D, E and F, most used in computing as a hexadecimal digit can represent four bits, half a standard byte, a...

Corpus desk

Index EN-hexadecimal · hexadecimal · English

hexadecimal · rank #58,074 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #58,074
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,646
  • PHOTO-FINISH Herbst

Nearest frequency peer: Herbst (-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.

Long-tail ranks near “hexadecimal”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “hexadecimal” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for hexadecimal
PropertyValue
Headwordhexadecimal
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌhɛksəˈdɛsɪməl/
Letters11
Frequency rank#58,074
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “hexadecimal” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).hexadecimalfalls in this rarity band:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “Herbst” (#58,073), “highbrow” (#58,075), “Helton” (#58,072). Among 2,646 “H” headwords, “hexadecimal” is #58,074. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

hexadecimal is uncommon English at frequency #58,074 among 2,646 “H” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˌhɛksəˈdɛsɪməl/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for hexadecimal in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: 1952, from hexa- + decimal; see the Wikipedia article for more information. Piecewise doublet of sexadecimal. The correct English form is hexadecimal, spelled H-E-X-A-D-E-C-I-M-A-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    A number system with base sixteen, using the digits 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, A, B, C, D, E and F, most used in computing as a hexadecimal digit can represent four bits, half a standard byte, and thus a single byte can be represented conveniently with two digits.
  2. 2
    A number expressed in the hexadecimal system.

Etymology

1952, from hexa- + decimal; see the Wikipedia article for more information. Piecewise doublet of sexadecimal.

Synonyms

base sixteenhexsedecimalsexadecimal

This word in other languages

hexadecimal(Español)hexadécimal(Français)Hexadezimalsystem(Deutsch)

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 "hexadecimal"?
"hexadecimal" is spelled H-E-X-A-D-E-C-I-M-A-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌhɛksəˈdɛsɪməl/.
What does "hexadecimal" mean?
As a noun, "hexadecimal" means: A number system with base sixteen, using the digits 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, A, B, C, D, E and F, most used in computing as a hexadecimal digit can represent four bits, half a standard byte, a...
How do you pronounce "hexadecimal"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "hexadecimal" is /ˌhɛksəˈdɛsɪməl/. 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 "hexadecimal"?
1952, from hexa- + decimal; see the Wikipedia article for more information. Piecewise doublet of sexadecimal. 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 "hexadecimal", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Hippocratic#58,078hooliganism#58,085inattention#58,103judiciously#58,126

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list