honest

/ˈɒn.ɪst/

//ˈɒn.ɪst// adj

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

"honest" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“honest” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,901 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#1,901
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
18
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Scrupulous with regard to telling the truth; not given to swindling, lying, or fraud; upright.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

honest vs host
67% similar
honest vs hopes
67% similar
honest vs honey
67% similar

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

Key facts for honest
PropertyValue
Headwordhonest
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈɒn.ɪst/
Letters6
Frequency rank#1,901
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs18
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “honest” 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). honest 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 honest is 6 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɒn.ɪst/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,901 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 9 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for honest, with forms such as "hhonest", "hnoest", and "hoenst". 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. It also participates in 18 confusable-pair relationships, "host", "hopes", "honey", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English honest, honeste (“honourable, appropriate, excellent”), from Old French honeste, from Latin honestus, from honor. For the verb, see Latin honestāre (“to clothe or adorn with honour”), and compare French honester. Displaced native Old Eng… The correct English form is honest, spelled H-O-N-E-S-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Scrupulous with regard to telling the truth; not given to swindling, lying, or fraud; upright.
  2. 2
    True, especially as far as is known by the person making the statement; fair; unbiased.
  3. 3
    In good faith; without malice.
  4. 4
    Accurate.
  5. 5
    Authentic; full.
  6. 6
    Earned or acquired in a fair manner.
  7. 7
    Open; frank.
  8. 8
    Decent; honourable; suitable; becoming.
  9. 9
    Chaste; faithful; virtuous.

Etymology

From Middle English honest, honeste (“honourable, appropriate, excellent”), from Old French honeste, from Latin honestus, from honor. For the verb, see Latin honestāre (“to clothe or adorn with honour”), and compare French honester. Displaced native Old English sōþfæst (literally “truth-firm”).

Synonyms

earnestfair dinkumforthrightupfrontfoursquarefrankgenuinehonestlegitimateon the levelon the up-and-upsquarestraightstraight dinkumstraightforwardtruetruthfultrustworthyup frontveraciousveridical

Antonyms

dishonesthypocriticalinsincereshady

This word in other languages

honesto(Español)honnête(Français)ehrlich(Deutsch)honesto(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: hhonest,hnoest,hoenst,honesst,honestt,honets,honnest,honset,ohnest

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of honest - 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.

hhonest1hnoest2hoenst2honesst1honestt1honets2honnest1honset2
Edit distance from "honest"

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 "honest"?
"honest" is spelled H-O-N-E-S-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɒn.ɪst/.
What does "honest" mean?
As an adjective, "honest" means: Scrupulous with regard to telling the truth; not given to swindling, lying, or fraud; upright.
What words are commonly confused with "honest"?
"honest" is commonly confused with "host", "hopes", "honey". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "honest"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "honest" is /ˈɒn.ɪst/. 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 "honest"?
From Middle English honest, honeste (“honourable, appropriate, excellent”), from Old French honeste, from Latin honestus, from honor. For the verb, see Latin honestāre (“to clothe or adorn with honour”), and compare French honester. Displaced nati... 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 “honest”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is H-O-N-E-S-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈɒn.ɪst/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “host” - see the side-by-side comparison. honest vs host
  • 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