superhero

/ˈs(j)upɚhɪɹoʊ/

//ˈs(j)upɚhɪɹoʊ// noun

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

"superhero" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“superhero” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #8,991. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#8,991
frequency rank, English
6,566
“S” headwords
13
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Any fictional crime-fighting character, often with supernatural powers or equipment, in popular children's and fantasy literature; a fictional hero who does great things.

Corpus desk

Index EN-superhero · superhero · English

superhero · rank #8,991 · 13 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #8,991
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-DENSE 6,566
  • PHOTO-FINISH successive

Nearest frequency peer: successive (-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 “superhero”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “superhero” 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
Key facts for superhero
PropertyValue
Headwordsuperhero
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈs(j)upɚhɪɹoʊ/
Letters9
Frequency rank#8,991
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “superhero”

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

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “successive” (#8,990), “stretching” (#8,989), “therapeutic” (#8,993). Among 6,566 “S” headwords, “superhero” is #8,991. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around superhero (IPA /ˈs(j)upɚhɪɹoʊ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #8,991 among 6,566 “S” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for superhero, with forms such as "spuerhero", "ssuperhero", and "sueprhero". 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. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From super- + hero. First attested in 1917. The correct English form is superhero, spelled S-U-P-E-R-H-E-R-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any fictional crime-fighting character, often with supernatural powers or equipment, in popular children's and fantasy literature; a fictional hero who does great things.
  2. 2
    A particularly renowned real-world hero, or one who has seemingly impossible abilities.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Hobbes: Super heroes wear snow pants? Stupendous Man: When there's snow out, they do!
  2. The power is out but you're watching TV? You must be a superhero.

Etymology

From super- + hero. First attested in 1917.

Antonyms

supervillain

This word in other languages

superhéroe(Español)super-héros(Français)Superheld(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • spuerhero
  • ssuperhero
  • sueprhero
  • supehrero
  • superehro
  • superheor
  • superherro
  • superhhero
  • superhreo
  • superrhero
  • supperhero
  • suprehero
  • usperhero

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

spuerhero2ssuperhero1sueprhero2supehrero2superehro2superheor2superherro1superhhero1
Edit distance from "superhero"

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 "superhero"?
"superhero" is spelled S-U-P-E-R-H-E-R-O. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈs(j)upɚhɪɹoʊ/.
What does "superhero" mean?
As a noun, "superhero" means: Any fictional crime-fighting character, often with supernatural powers or equipment, in popular children's and fantasy literature; a fictional hero who does great things.
What are common misspellings of "superhero"?
Common misspellings include "spuerhero", "ssuperhero", "sueprhero", "supehrero", "superehro". The correct spelling is "superhero".
How do you pronounce "superhero"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "superhero" is /ˈs(j)upɚhɪɹoʊ/. 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 "superhero"?
From super- + hero. First attested in 1917. 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 "superhero", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

recession#8,977Princeton#8,973possessed#8,972merchants#8,957

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

secondly13 variantsRichards13 variantscrashing13 variantsCrawford13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list