highway

/ˈhaɪweɪ/

//ˈhaɪweɪ// noun

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

"highway" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“highway” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #3,063 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#3,063
frequency rank, English
7
letters
11
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A main public road, especially a multi-lane, high-speed thoroughfare.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

highway vs highly
71% similar

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

Key facts for highway
PropertyValue
Headwordhighway
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈhaɪweɪ/
Letters7
Frequency rank#3,063
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “highway” 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). highway 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 highway is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈhaɪweɪ/. Corpus data places it at rank #3,063 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for highway, with forms such as "hgihway", "hhighway", and "higghway". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "highly", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English heiȝwai, heiȝwei, from Old English hēahweġ (“main road, highway”), corresponding to high + way. Compare highgate, high street, high road. Cognate with Scots heaway, heway, hieway, hichway, heichway (“highway”). The correct English form is highway, spelled H-I-G-H-W-A-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    A main public road, especially a multi-lane, high-speed thoroughfare.
  2. 2
    Any public road.
  3. 3
    A way; a path that leads to a certain destiny.
  4. 4
    A road that is major (more heavily traveled and thus more important than a byway), higher than the surrounding land, has drainage ditches at the sides, or has any combination of those traits.
  5. 5
    Synonym of bus (“common connection for two or more circuits or components”).

Etymology

From Middle English heiȝwai, heiȝwei, from Old English hēahweġ (“main road, highway”), corresponding to high + way. Compare highgate, high street, high road. Cognate with Scots heaway, heway, hieway, hichway, heichway (“highway”).

This word in other languages

carretera(Español)grand chemin(Français)Hauptstraße(Deutsch)autoestrada(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: hgihway,hhighway,higghway,highawy,highhway,highwayy,highwway,highwya,higwhay,hihgway,ihghway

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of highway - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

hgihway2hhighway1higghway1highawy2highhway1highwayy1highwway1highwya2
Edit distance from "highway"

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 "highway"?
"highway" is spelled H-I-G-H-W-A-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈhaɪweɪ/.
What does "highway" mean?
As a noun, "highway" means: A main public road, especially a multi-lane, high-speed thoroughfare.
What words are commonly confused with "highway"?
"highway" is commonly confused with "highly". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "highway"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "highway" is /ˈhaɪweɪ/. 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 "highway"?
From Middle English heiȝwai, heiȝwei, from Old English hēahweġ (“main road, highway”), corresponding to high + way. Compare highgate, high street, high road. Cognate with Scots heaway, heway, hieway, hichway, heichway (“highway”). 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 “highway”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is H-I-G-H-W-A-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈhaɪweɪ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “highly” - see the side-by-side comparison. highway vs highly
  • 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