# forge vs former

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### forge
*noun · IPA /fɔːd͡ʒ/ · frequency rank #9,901*
A furnace or hearth where metals are heated prior to hammering them into shape.

### former
*adjective · IPA /ˈfɔɹmɚ/ · frequency rank #528*
Previous.

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