# fairness

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈfɛə.nəs/ · frequency rank #10,045

## Definitions
1. The property of being fair or equitable.
2. The property of being fair or beautiful.

## Etymology
From Middle English fairness, fæȝernesse, from Old English fæġernes (“fairness; beauty; pleasantness”), equivalent to fair + -ness. Cognate with Old High German fagarnessi (“fairness”).

## Easily confused with
- **fitness** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fairness-vs-fitness)
- **Furness** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fairness-vs-furness)
- **firmness** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fairness-vs-firmness)
- **fairies** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fairies-vs-fairness)
- **fairest** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fairest-vs-fairness)

## Common misspellings (10)
`afirness`, `fainress`, `fairenss`, `fairnes`, `fairnness`, `fairnses`, `fairrness`, `fariness`, `ffairness`, `fiarness`

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