# former vs foster

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

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

### foster
*adjective · IPA /ˈfɒs.tə/ · frequency rank #4,085*
Providing parental care to children not related to oneself.

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