follow

[ˈfɒləʊ]

/[ˈfɒləʊ]/ verb

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

The verdict

“follow” is a moderately-common German word, ranked #23,938 in German word frequency and used as a verb.

#23,938
frequency rank, German
6
letters
7
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - jemandem folgen (‚hinterhergehen‘)

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

follow vs follower
75% similar
follow vs Flow
50% similar
follow vs folio
67% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for follow
PropertyValue
Headwordfollow
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ˈfɒləʊ]
Letters6
Frequency rank#23,938
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “follow” sits in German 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). follow lands here:

#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 German entry for follow is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈfɒləʊ]. Corpus data places it at rank #23,938 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for follow, with forms such as "ffollow", "flolow", and "followw". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 4 confusable-pair relationships, "follower", "Flow", "folio", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

This entry's etymology isn't recorded, so its spelling is easiest explained by how it's pronounced rather than where it came from. The correct German form is follow, spelled F-O-L-L-O-W.

Definition

  1. 1
    jemandem folgen (‚hinterhergehen‘)
  2. 2
    jemanden verfolgen (beobachten, beschatten, überwachen)
  3. 3
    (dem Verlauf/der Richtung) einer Straße folgen
  4. 4
    vom Streben nach einem Ziel oder Ideal etwas verfolgen; [einer Religionslehre] nachfolgen
  5. 5
    jemandem nachfolgen
  6. 6
    als nächstes in der Reihe folgen; zeitlich: anschließend (auf etwas) folgen
  7. 7
    (einer Erklärung/Beschreibung) folgen; (einer Anweisung) nachgehen; (einem Befehl) folgen, gehorchen
  8. 8
    etwas mit den Augen folgen; einen Vorgang / eine Entwicklung verfolgen (interessiert sein); einem Vortrag folgen (zuhören); etwas verstehen (nachvollziehen) [können]

Synonyms

pursuecomply

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ffollow,flolow,followw,follwo,fololw,folow,ofllow

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of follow - 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.

ffollow1flolow2followw1follwo2fololw2folow1ofllow2
Edit distance from "follow"

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

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "follow"?
"follow" is spelled F-O-L-L-O-W. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈfɒləʊ].
What does "follow" mean?
As a verb, "follow" means: jemandem folgen (‚hinterhergehen‘)
What words are commonly confused with "follow"?
"follow" is commonly confused with "follower", "Flow", "folio". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "follow"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "follow" is [ˈfɒləʊ]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "follow" come from?
"follow" is a German word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 “follow”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is F-O-L-L-O-W - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈfɒləʊ] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “follower” - see the side-by-side comparison. follow vs follower
  • Browse more German words and confusable pairs in the same reference. German 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list