Helper

How to spell helper

6 letters · 2 syllables

How to pronounce helper

Say the part in capitals loudest.

What does helper mean?

1. nounA person who assists or supports someone in a task or activity.

Helper in a sentence

• The chef hired a young helper to wash and chop the vegetables.

• Each volunteer was paired with an experienced helper for the day.

Where does helper come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

The word helper is built from the native English verb help, which descends from Old English helpan, meaning 'to aid, support, or assist'. That verb has deep Germanic roots and is closely related to the Old Norse hjalpa and the modern German helfen, all carrying the same sense of lending a hand. The agent suffix -er, also of Old English origin, attaches to verbs to name the person who performs the action, just as it does in worker, teacher, and writer. So helper literally means 'one who helps', and it has been used in this straightforward way since the Middle Ages. Because both halves are plain native English, the spelling holds no traps beyond remembering the single l and the everyday -er ending.

How the word is built

• help (Old English helpan: to aid)
• -er (agent suffix: one who does)