hyena

/haɪˈiːnə/

//haɪˈiːnə// noun

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

"hyena" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“hyena” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #37,035. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#37,035
frequency rank, English
2,646
“H” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
14
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Any of the medium-sized to large feliform carnivores of the family Hyaenidae, native to Africa and Asia and noted for the sound similar to laughter which they can make if excited.

Corpus desk

Index EN-hyena · hyena · English

hyena · rank #37,035 · 7 variants · 14 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #37,035
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 14 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,646
  • PHOTO-FINISH hunched

Nearest frequency peer: hunched (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “hyena”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “hyena” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

hyena vs hymn
60% similar
hyena vs Hyun
40% similar
hyena vs hyung
60% similar

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

Key facts for hyena
PropertyValue
Headwordhyena
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/haɪˈiːnə/
Letters5
Frequency rank#37,035
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs14
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “hyena”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).hyenalands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “hunched” (#37,034), “Hunan” (#37,033), “Huggins” (#37,032). Among 2,646 “H” headwords, “hyena” is #37,035. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around hyena (IPA /haɪˈiːnə/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #37,035 among 2,646 “H” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for hyena, with forms such as "heyna", "hhyena", and "hyean". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 14 confusable-pair relationships, "hymn", "Hyun", "hyung", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English hiena, variant of hyene, from Old French hiene, from Medieval Latin hyēna, from Latin hyaena, from Ancient Greek ὕαινα (húaina). Displaced native Old English nihtgenġe (literally “night walker”). The correct English form is hyena, spelled H-Y-E-N-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any of the medium-sized to large feliform carnivores of the family Hyaenidae, native to Africa and Asia and noted for the sound similar to laughter which they can make if excited.
  2. 2
    A man that performs ritualized sex acts with recently widowed women and menarchal girls.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how hyena appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The udder of the hyena, tied on the left arm, enticed the affection of any desired woman.
  2. I took no systematic data on the costs to cheetahs and hyenas, but some anecdotes suggest that both parties took numerical advantage and hunger into account.

Etymology

From Middle English hiena, variant of hyene, from Old French hiene, from Medieval Latin hyēna, from Latin hyaena, from Ancient Greek ὕαινα (húaina). Displaced native Old English nihtgenġe (literally “night walker”).

Synonyms

hyaenid

This word in other languages

hiena(Español)hyène(Français)Hyäne(Deutsch)hiena(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • heyna
  • hhyena
  • hyean
  • hyenna
  • hynea
  • hyyena
  • yhena

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of hyena - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

heyna2hhyena1hyean2hyenna1hynea2hyyena1yhena2
Edit distance from "hyena"

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 "hyena"?
"hyena" is spelled H-Y-E-N-A. The IPA pronunciation is /haɪˈiːnə/.
What does "hyena" mean?
As a noun, "hyena" means: Any of the medium-sized to large feliform carnivores of the family Hyaenidae, native to Africa and Asia and noted for the sound similar to laughter which they can make if excited.
What words are commonly confused with "hyena"?
"hyena" is commonly confused with "hymn", "Hyun", "hyung". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "hyena"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "hyena" is /haɪˈiːnə/. 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 "hyena"?
From Middle English hiena, variant of hyene, from Old French hiene, from Medieval Latin hyēna, from Latin hyaena, from Ancient Greek ὕαινα (húaina). Displaced native Old English nihtgenġe (literally “night walker”). 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "hyena", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Hunan#37,033knelt#37,057Laval#37,063lazar#37,065

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

goodie7 variantsgonzo7 variantsgibbon7 variantsMilos7 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list