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f

/ɛf/letter, number, symbol, noun

f is spelled F: one letter and one syllable. It appears 120 times per million words in written English, the 873rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a letter, f means “The sixth letter of the English alphabet, called ef and written in the Latin script” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).

How many letters and syllables are in f?

Letters1: F
Syllables1 (from its American pronunciation)
In writing120 times per million words; the 873rd most frequent word form
Wrong spellings searchednone measured in search

Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How common is f?

F appears 120 times per million words in written English, the 873rd most frequent word form in the list.

Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).

How do you pronounce f?

  • /ɛf/
  • /f/

F has one syllable (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-f.ogg, En-uk-f.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).

Forms of f

  • fs plural
  • f's plural
  • f***s plural, present, singular, he/she/it
  • f***ing participle, present
  • f****** participle, present
  • f***ed participle, past

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What does f mean?

The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).

letter

  1. 1

    The sixth letter of the English alphabet, called ef and written in the Latin script.

number

  1. 1

    The sixth numeral symbol of the English alphabet, called ef and written in the Latin script.

symbol

  1. 1

    The name of the fourth tone of the model scale, or scale of C. F sharp (F♯) is a tone intermediate between F and G.

letter

as F
  1. 1

    The sixth letter of the English alphabet, called ef and written in the Latin script.

number

as F
  1. 1

    The sixth numeral symbol of the English alphabet, called ef and written in the Latin script.

symbol

as F
  1. 1

    The fourth note of the diatonic scale of C major, called fa in solfège.

  2. 2

    The scale or key which has that note for its tonic.

  3. 3

    On a piano keyboard, the white key next to the left of each group of three black keys (see figure).

  4. 4

    The degree of a staff assigned to such a key or tone; a note on such a degree.

  5. 5

    Ford Motor Company

interjection

as F
  1. 1

    An expression of sympathy or pity; see F in the chat.

adjective

as F
  1. 1

    Abbreviation of false.

  2. 2

    Abbreviation of female.

  3. 3

    Abbreviation of fine.

  4. 4

    Abbreviation of fine.

noun

as F
  1. 1

    A failing grade, with the next best grade being either a D or an E (some institutions issue Es instead of Fs).

  2. 2

    UKA grade lower than E but higher than G.

  3. 3

    A grade of black-lead pencil (originally an abbreviation of fine).

  4. 4

    In the American Library Association, a folio-sized book, over 30 cm in height.

  5. 5

    Abbreviation of fellow.

    FGS

  6. 6

    Abbreviation of fog, as in a ship's log.

  7. 7

    USInitialism of Fujita (followed by a number when used in a rating on the Fujita scale and indicating the intensity of a tornado).

    the F-scale ; an F3 tornado

  8. 8

    Initialism of function (followed by a number when used on or referencing a function key of a computer keyboard).

    Press F1 for help.

verb

as F
  1. 1

    Initialism of fuck.

noun

  1. 1

    Folio, paper and book size (10"-12.5" x 15"-20")

  2. 2

    Abbreviation of fuck.

    What the f do you think you're doing?

  3. 3

    Abbreviation of feminine.

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

F in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese

LanguageWords
FrenchTB (fine)
Germanf. (and the following)

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.

Where does f come from?

Old English lower case letter f, from 7th century replacement by Latin lower case f of the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc letter ᚠ (f, “fe”).

Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).

What to look up after f