hem

[ˈhɛmː]

/[ˈhɛmː]/ noun

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

The verdict

“hem” is uncommon Spanish (frequency #66,215 among 15,034 “H” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#66,215
frequency rank, Spanish
15,034
“H” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Hogar; casa; residencia; domicilio; tierra.

Key facts for hem
PropertyValue
Headwordhem
LanguageSpanish
Part of speechNoun
IPA[ˈhɛmː]
Letters3
Frequency rank#66,215
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “hem” sits in Spanish 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). hem lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

hem is uncommon Spanish at frequency #66,215 among 15,034 “H” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed [ˈhɛmː]. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No misspelling variants are generated for hem in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular Spanish conventions. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

No explicit etymology string is stored for this entry, so its spelling is best explained by sound-to-letter mapping rather than etymology. The correct Spanish form is hem, spelled H-E-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    Hogar; casa; residencia; domicilio; tierra.
  2. 2
    Asilo, residencia, casa hogar. Institución que se encarga de alojar personas mayores, niños, enfermos o desamparados.

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 Spanish corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "hem"?
"hem" is spelled H-E-M. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈhɛmː].
What does "hem" mean?
As a noun, "hem" means: Hogar; casa; residencia; domicilio; tierra.
How do you pronounce "hem"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "hem" is [ˈhɛmː]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "hem" come from?
"hem" is a Spanish word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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 “hem”

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

  • The one correct Spanish spelling is H-E-M - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈhɛmː] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more Spanish words and confusable pairs in the same reference. Spanish words

Other uncommon Spanish words near this rank

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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list