fortfahren

[ˈfɔʁtˌfaːʁən]

/[ˈfɔʁtˌfaːʁən]/ verb

The verdict

“fortfahren” is a moderately-common German word, ranked #28,656 in German word frequency and used as a verb.

#28,656
frequency rank, German
10
letters
16
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - einen Ort mit einem Fahrzeug verlassen

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

fortfahren vs fortwährend
73% similar

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

Key facts for fortfahren
PropertyValue
Headwordfortfahren
LanguageGerman
Part of speechVerb
IPA[ˈfɔʁtˌfaːʁən]
Letters10
Frequency rank#28,656
Misspellings tracked16
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “fortfahren” 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). fortfahren 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 fortfahren is 10 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as [ˈfɔʁtˌfaːʁən]. Corpus data places it at rank #28,656 in overall German word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 16 likely wrong-spelling variants for fortfahren, with forms such as "ffortfahren", "forftahren", and "forrtfahren". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "fortwährend", 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 best read as a straightforward mapping from sound to letter. The correct German form is fortfahren, spelled F-O-R-T-F-A-H-R-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    einen Ort mit einem Fahrzeug verlassen
  2. 2
    jemanden oder etwas von einem Ort mit einem Fahrzeug wegbringen
  3. 3
    einen Vorgang, eine Tätigkeit, einen Prozess nach einer Unterbrechung wieder beginnen

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ffortfahren,forftahren,forrtfahren,fortafhren,fortfahern,fortfahhren,fortfahrenn,fortfahrne,fortfahrren,fortfarhen,fortffahren,fortfharen,forttfahren,fotrfahren,frotfahren,ofrtfahren

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ffortfahren1forftahren2forrtfahren1fortafhren2fortfahern2fortfahhren1fortfahrenn1fortfahrne2
Edit distance from "fortfahren"

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 "fortfahren"?
"fortfahren" is spelled F-O-R-T-F-A-H-R-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is [ˈfɔʁtˌfaːʁən].
What does "fortfahren" mean?
As a verb, "fortfahren" means: einen Ort mit einem Fahrzeug verlassen
What words are commonly confused with "fortfahren"?
"fortfahren" is commonly confused with "fortwährend". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "fortfahren"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "fortfahren" is [ˈfɔʁtˌfaːʁən]. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "fortfahren" come from?
"fortfahren" is a German word. PlainSpell's reference spans five languages -- English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German -- with definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for each.
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 “fortfahren”

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

  • The one correct German spelling is F-O-R-T-F-A-H-R-E-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as [ˈfɔʁtˌfaːʁən] (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “fortwährend” - see the side-by-side comparison. fortfahren vs fortwährend
  • 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