# hiatus

> English word · Noun · IPA /haɪˈeɪtəs/ · frequency rank #15,186

## Definitions
1. A gap in a series, making it incomplete.
2. An interruption, break, pause or absence.
3. An temporary break from work, especially one which is unexpected.
4. A gap in geological strata.
5. An opening in an organ.
6. A syllable break between two vowels, without an intervening consonant.

## Etymology
Learned borrowing from Latin hiātus (“opening”) (mid-16th century), from hiō (“stand open, yawn”).

## Easily confused with
- **hits** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hiatus-vs-hits)
- **hints** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hiatus-vs-hints)
- **hats** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hats-vs-hiatus)
- **Haus** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/haus-vs-hiatus)
- **hates** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/hates-vs-hiatus)
- **heats** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/heats-vs-hiatus)

## Common misspellings (8)
`haitus`, `hhiatus`, `hiatsu`, `hiattus`, `hiatuss`, `hiauts`, `hitaus`, `ihatus`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/hiatus