diff --git a/README b/README
index 9c6532d..6dc04ae 100644
--- a/README
+++ b/README
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ What
 "paramiko" is a combination of the esperanto words for "paranoid" and
 "friend".  it's a module for python 2.2+ that implements the SSH2 protocol
 for secure (encrypted and authenticated) connections to remote machines.
-unlike SSL (aka TLS), SSH2 protocol does not require heirarchical
+unlike SSL (aka TLS), SSH2 protocol does not require hierarchical
 certificates signed by a powerful central authority. you may know SSH2 as
 the protocol that replaced telnet and rsh for secure access to remote
 shells, but the protocol also includes the ability to open arbitrary
diff --git a/README.rst b/README.rst
index 9c6532d..6dc04ae 100644
--- a/README.rst
+++ b/README.rst
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ What
 "paramiko" is a combination of the esperanto words for "paranoid" and
 "friend".  it's a module for python 2.2+ that implements the SSH2 protocol
 for secure (encrypted and authenticated) connections to remote machines.
-unlike SSL (aka TLS), SSH2 protocol does not require heirarchical
+unlike SSL (aka TLS), SSH2 protocol does not require hierarchical
 certificates signed by a powerful central authority. you may know SSH2 as
 the protocol that replaced telnet and rsh for secure access to remote
 shells, but the protocol also includes the ability to open arbitrary
diff --git a/paramiko/__init__.py b/paramiko/__init__.py
index ac0d559..43b9c6b 100644
--- a/paramiko/__init__.py
+++ b/paramiko/__init__.py
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 I{Paramiko} (a combination of the esperanto words for "paranoid" and "friend")
 is a module for python 2.3 or greater that implements the SSH2 protocol for
 secure (encrypted and authenticated) connections to remote machines.  Unlike
-SSL (aka TLS), the SSH2 protocol does not require heirarchical certificates
+SSL (aka TLS), the SSH2 protocol does not require hierarchical certificates
 signed by a powerful central authority.  You may know SSH2 as the protocol that
 replaced C{telnet} and C{rsh} for secure access to remote shells, but the
 protocol also includes the ability to open arbitrary channels to remote