sweetheart

Name: sweetheart, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/ˈswiːtˌhɑːt/

//ˈswiːtˌhɑːt// noun

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“sweetheart” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #10,619 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#10,619
frequency rank, English: 10
letters: 15
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A person who is always very kind.

Key facts for sweetheart
Property	Value
Headword	sweetheart
Language	English
Part of speech	Noun
IPA	/ˈswiːtˌhɑːt/
Letters	10
Frequency rank	#10,619
Misspellings tracked	15
Confusable pairs	0
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “sweetheart” 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). sweetheart lands here:

#10,619

#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 sweetheart is 10 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈswiːtˌhɑːt/. Corpus data places it at rank #10,619 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for sweetheart, with forms such as "sewetheart", "ssweetheart", and "sweehteart". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English swete heorte, swete hert (term of endearment); equivalent to sweet + heart. The correct English form is sweetheart, spelled S-W-E-E-T-H-E-A-R-T.

Definition

1
A person who is always very kind.
2
A person very much liked or loved by someone, especially when both partners are young.
3
A term of endearment, especially for a lover or child.
4
A female member of a college or university fraternity.

Etymology

From Middle English swete heorte, swete hert (term of endearment); equivalent to sweet + heart.

Synonyms

sweetie babe baby dear darling sweetie babber precious bae babycakes bubba bully buttercup cabbage chickabiddy chickadee chuck cupcake cutie dag dear heart dearest dearie dearling doll doodlebug dove duck ducky dumpling fam heart heartface heartling heartmate hinny hon honey honey bun honeybunch honeybug honeybunny honeycakes honeypie jewel jo kidder lambchop lambkinlass (archaic except UKdialectal (chiefly GeordieWearside)informal or poetic)liefling little one love lovebug loveling lovie luvvy m'dear miting moppet mopsy mouse muffin muss old bean old sport pally pet petal poppet pug pumpkin pussums pussy sausageschnookumsshug snicklefritz snookums snuggums squishy sug sugar sugar baby sugar beetsugar-plumsugarpie sweet pea sweetcheeks sweetheart sweetie pie sweets sweetling treasure woobie

This word in other languages

dulzura(Español)chéri(Français)Schatz(Deutsch)gentil(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: sewetheart,ssweetheart,sweehteart,sweetehart,sweethaert,sweethearrt,sweetheartt,sweetheatr,sweetherat,sweethheart,sweettheart,sweteheart,swetheart,swweetheart,wseetheart

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of sweetheart - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

Edit distance from "sweetheart"

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 "sweetheart"?

"sweetheart" is spelled S-W-E-E-T-H-E-A-R-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈswiːtˌhɑːt/.

What does "sweetheart" mean?

As a noun, "sweetheart" means: A person who is always very kind.

What are common misspellings of "sweetheart"?

Common misspellings include "sewetheart", "ssweetheart", "sweehteart", "sweetehart", "sweethaert". The correct spelling is "sweetheart".

How do you pronounce "sweetheart"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "sweetheart" is /ˈswiːtˌhɑːt/. 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 "sweetheart"?

From Middle English swete heorte, swete hert (term of endearment); equivalent to sweet + heart. 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 “sweetheart”

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

The one correct English spelling is S-W-E-E-T-H-E-A-R-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /ˈswiːtˌhɑːt/ (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.