humanism

/ˈhjuːmənɪz(ə)m/

//ˈhjuːmənɪz(ə)m// noun

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

"humanism" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“humanism” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #29,314 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#29,314
frequency rank, English
8
letters
12
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The study of the humanities or the liberal arts; literary (especially classical) scholarship.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

humanism vs humanity
75% similar
humanism vs humanist
88% similar

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

Key facts for humanism
PropertyValue
Headwordhumanism
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈhjuːmənɪz(ə)m/
Letters8
Frequency rank#29,314
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “humanism” 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). humanism 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 humanism is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈhjuːmənɪz(ə)m/. Corpus data places it at rank #29,314 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for humanism, with forms such as "hhumanism", "hmuanism", and "huamnism". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "humanity", "humanist", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From human + -ism, borrowed from German Humanismus, coined by Friedrich Immanuel Niethammer in 1808. The correct English form is humanism, spelled H-U-M-A-N-I-S-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    The study of the humanities or the liberal arts; literary (especially classical) scholarship.
  2. 2
    Specifically, a cultural and intellectual movement in 14th-16th century Europe characterised by attention to classical culture and a promotion of vernacular texts, notably during the Renaissance.
  3. 3
    An ethical system that centers on humans and their values, needs, interests, abilities, dignity and freedom; especially used for a secular one which rejects theistic religion and superstition.
  4. 4
    Humanitarianism.

Etymology

From human + -ism, borrowed from German Humanismus, coined by Friedrich Immanuel Niethammer in 1808.

This word in other languages

humanismo(Español)humanisme(Français)Humanismus(Deutsch)humanismo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: hhumanism,hmuanism,huamnism,humainsm,humanims,humanismm,humanissm,humannism,humansim,hummanism,humnaism,uhmanism

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

hhumanism1hmuanism2huamnism2humainsm2humanims2humanismm1humanissm1humannism1
Edit distance from "humanism"

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 "humanism"?
"humanism" is spelled H-U-M-A-N-I-S-M. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈhjuːmənɪz(ə)m/.
What does "humanism" mean?
As a noun, "humanism" means: The study of the humanities or the liberal arts; literary (especially classical) scholarship.
What words are commonly confused with "humanism"?
"humanism" is commonly confused with "humanity", "humanist". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "humanism"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "humanism" is /ˈhjuːmənɪz(ə)m/. 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 "humanism"?
From human + -ism, borrowed from German Humanismus, coined by Friedrich Immanuel Niethammer in 1808. 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 “humanism”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is H-U-M-A-N-I-S-M - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈhjuːmənɪz(ə)m/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “humanity” - see the side-by-side comparison. humanism vs humanity
  • 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