Which to use
“forgo” is a verb and “fro” is an adverb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #29,282
- “forgo” frequency rank
- #19,093
- “fro” frequency rank
- 48375
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | forgo | fro |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | To do without (something enjoyable); to relinquish. | From; away; back or backward. |
Where the spellings diverge
Shared letters are muted; the letters that actually set forgo and fro apart are highlighted. They share 3 letters in sequence, which is exactly why the eye skips the difference.
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: forgo is /fɔːˈɡəʊ/ while fro is /fɹəʊ/. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 2 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (verb vs adverb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 48375, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
forgo is recorded at frequency rank #29,282, classified as averb, pronounced /fɔːˈɡəʊ/. fro is at rank #19,093, tagged as anadv, pronounced /fɹəʊ/.
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 48375, this pair ranks #193,655 of 530,003 scored English confusable pairs - roughly mid-pack for confusability.
Orthographic DNA of forgo vs fro
Shared letters: for. Private to "forgo": g. Private to "fro": -.
"forgo" · 5 letters · shape CVCCV · "fro" · 3 letters · shape CCV
Known mistypes of this pair
- forgo ← fforgo · fogro · forggo · forog · forrgo · frogo · ofrgo
Frequency comparison
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "forgo" and "fro" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "forgo" or "fro"?
Remembering forgo vs fro
The fastest way to pick the right one every time.
- Check the role first: if you need a verb, it's “forgo”; for an adverb, it's “fro”.
- See each word in full, definition, IPA, etymology and its other confusables. Full “forgo” entry
- Browse more pairs most likely to be confused. Most confusable