# forbidden vs forbidding

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### forbidden
*adjective · IPA /fə.ˈbɪ.dn̩/ · frequency rank #7,565*
Not allowed; specifically disallowed.

### forbidding
*adjective · IPA /fɚˈbɪdɪŋ/ · frequency rank #26,427*
Appearing to be threatening, unfriendly or potentially unpleasant.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/forbidden-vs-forbidding