hymen

/ˈhaɪmən/

//ˈhaɪmən// noun

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

The verdict

“hymen” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #48,809. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#48,809
frequency rank, English
2,646
“H” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A membrane which completely or partially occludes the vaginal opening in human females.

Corpus desk

Index EN-hymen · hymen · English

hymen · rank #48,809 · 8 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #48,809
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,646
  • PHOTO-FINISH hsien

Nearest frequency peer: hsien (-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 “hymen”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “hymen” 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).

hymen vs hype
60% similar
hymen vs hymn
80% similar
hymen vs Hyun
40% similar

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

Key facts for hymen
PropertyValue
Headwordhymen
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈhaɪmən/
Letters5
Frequency rank#48,809
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “hymen”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).hymenlands 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 “hsien” (#48,808), “ices” (#48,810), “Hosea” (#48,807). Among 2,646 “H” headwords, “hymen” is #48,809. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around hymen (IPA /ˈhaɪmən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #48,809 among 2,646 “H” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for hymen, with forms such as "hhymen", "hmyen", and "hyemn". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "hype", "hymn", "Hyun", 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 French hymen, from Late Latin hymēn, from Ancient Greek ὑμήν (humḗn, “skin; membrane”). The correct English form is hymen, spelled H-Y-M-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A membrane which completely or partially occludes the vaginal opening in human females.
  2. 2
    Marriage.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. I would for ever baniſh from my thoughts—I will obey the firſt ſummons that proclaims you a happy wife.—On my devoted head may every miſery, reſulting from an ill-fated marriage, have juſtly been exhauſted. On your propitious hymen may ſmiling peace, domeſtic harmony, and mutual love, for ever wait; and time alone diſſolve the tender union!
  2. Fanny read to herself that "it was with infinite concern the newspaper had to announce to the world, a matrimonial fracas in the family of Mr. R. of Wimpole Street; the beautiful Mrs. R. whose name had not long been enrolled in the lists of hymen, and who had promised to become so brilliant a leader in the fashionable world, having quitted her husband's r…

Etymology

From Middle French hymen, from Late Latin hymēn, from Ancient Greek ὑμήν (humḗn, “skin; membrane”).

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • hhymen
  • hmyen
  • hyemn
  • hymenn
  • hymmen
  • hymne
  • hyymen
  • yhmen

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of hymen - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

hhymen1hmyen2hyemn2hymenn1hymmen1hymne2hyymen1yhmen2
Edit distance from "hymen"

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 "hymen"?
"hymen" is spelled H-Y-M-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈhaɪmən/.
What does "hymen" mean?
As a noun, "hymen" means: A membrane which completely or partially occludes the vaginal opening in human females.
What words are commonly confused with "hymen"?
"hymen" is commonly confused with "hype", "hymn", "Hyun". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "hymen"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "hymen" is /ˈhaɪmən/. 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 "hymen"?
From Middle French hymen, from Late Latin hymēn, from Ancient Greek ὑμήν (humḗn, “skin; membrane”). 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 "hymen", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list