hyponym
/ˈhaɪpəʊ.nɪm/
"hyponym" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“hyponym” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a noun - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 7
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A more specific term; a subordinate grouping word or phrase; a term designating a subclass of another more general class described by the given word.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | hyponym |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈhaɪpəʊ.nɪm/ |
| Letters | 7 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “hyponym” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for hyponym is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈhaɪpəʊ.nɪm/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "A more specific term; a subordinate grouping word or phrase; a term designating a subclass of another more general class described by the given word.".
No misspelling variants are generated for hyponym in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
Etymologically, the entry records: From hyp- + -onym or hypo- + -nym; from Ancient Greek ὑπό (hupó, “under”) + ὄνυμα (ónuma) ("appellation"), a Doric specific dialectal form of ὄνομα (ónoma, “name”). The correct English form is hyponym, spelled H-Y-P-O-N-Y-M.
Definition
- 1A more specific term; a subordinate grouping word or phrase; a term designating a subclass of another more general class described by the given word.
Etymology
From hyp- + -onym or hypo- + -nym; from Ancient Greek ὑπό (hupó, “under”) + ὄνυμα (ónuma) ("appellation"), a Doric specific dialectal form of ὄνομα (ónoma, “name”).
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you spell "hyponym"?
What does "hyponym" mean?
How do you pronounce "hyponym"?
What is the origin of the word "hyponym"?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “hyponym”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is H-Y-P-O-N-Y-M - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈhaɪpəʊ.nɪm/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- 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.