holy water
/ˈhəʊli ˌwɔːtə/
"holy-water" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“holy water” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 10
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - In certain Christian churches, water that has been sanctified by a priest or bishop for the purpose of baptism or for the blessing of persons, places, or things.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | holy water |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈhəʊli ˌwɔːtə/ |
| Letters | 10 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “holy water” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
holy water is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈhəʊli ˌwɔːtə/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "In certain Christian churches, water that has been sanctified by a priest or bishop for the purpose of baptism or for the blessing of persons, places, or things.".
Zero misspellings are on record for holy water in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English holy water, haly water, hali water, holiwater, halywater, from Old English hāliġwæter (“holy water”), equivalent to holy + water. The correct English form is holy water, spelled H-O-L-Y- -W-A-T-E-R.
Definition
- 1In certain Christian churches, water that has been sanctified by a priest or bishop for the purpose of baptism or for the blessing of persons, places, or things.
Etymology
From Middle English holy water, haly water, hali water, holiwater, halywater, from Old English hāliġwæter (“holy water”), equivalent to holy + water.
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you spell "holy water"?
What does "holy water" mean?
How do you pronounce "holy water"?
What is the origin of the word "holy water"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “holy water”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is H-O-L-Y- -W-A-T-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈhəʊli ˌwɔːtə/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- 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.