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” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #37,035 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#37,035
frequency rank, English
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
14
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 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.

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)

Where “hyena” 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). hyena 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 hyena is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /haɪˈiːnə/. Corpus data places it at rank #37,035 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

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.

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.

Using “hyena”

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

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