# shepherd

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈʃɛpəd/ · frequency rank #8,348

## Definitions
1. A person who tends sheep, especially a grazing flock.
2. A person who tends sheep, especially a grazing flock.
3. Someone who watches over, looks after, or guides somebody.
4. Someone who watches over, looks after, or guides somebody.
5. The pastor of a church; one who guides others in religion.
6. The pastor of a church; one who guides others in religion.
7. A swain; a rustic male lover.
8. A German Shepherd.

## Etymology
From Middle English schepherde, from Old English sċēaphierde, a compound of sċēap (“sheep”) and hierde (“herdsman”), equivalent to modern sheep + herd (“herder”).

## Easily confused with
- **Sheppard** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shepherd-vs-sheppard)
- **shepherds** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/shepherd-vs-shepherds)

## Common misspellings (13)
`hsepherd`, `sehpherd`, `shehperd`, `shepehrd`, `shephedr`, `shepherdd`, `shepherrd`, `shephherd`, `shephred`, `sheppherd`, `shhepherd`, `shpeherd`, `sshepherd`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/shepherd