faithful

/ˈfeɪθ.fl̩/

//ˈfeɪθ.fl̩// adj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"faithful" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“faithful” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #6,050. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#6,050
frequency rank, English
18,613
“F” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

faithful vs fateful
75% similar
faithful vs faithfully
80% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for faithful
PropertyValue
Headwordfaithful
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈfeɪθ.fl̩/
Letters8
Frequency rank#6,050
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “faithful” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). faithful lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around faithful (IPA /ˈfeɪθ.fl̩/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #6,050 among 18,613 “F” headwords. Wiktionary lists 7 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for faithful, with forms such as "afithful", "faihtful", and "faitfhul". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "fateful", "faithfully", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English feithful, equivalent to faith + -ful. The correct English form is faithful, spelled F-A-I-T-H-F-U-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause.
  2. 2
    Having faith.
  3. 3
    Reliable; worthy of trust.
  4. 4
    Consistent with reality.
  5. 5
    Engaging in sexual relations only with one's spouse or long-term sexual partner.
  6. 6
    Injective in specific contexts, e.g. of representations in representation or functors in category theory.
  7. 7
    Of a module, whose annihilator is zero.

Etymology

From Middle English feithful, equivalent to faith + -ful.

This word in other languages

fiel(Español)fidèle(Français)treu(Deutsch)leal(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • afithful
  • faihtful
  • faitfhul
  • faithfful
  • faithflu
  • faithfull
  • faithhful
  • faithufl
  • faitthful
  • fatihful
  • ffaithful
  • fiathful

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of faithful - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

afithful2faihtful2faitfhul2faithfful1faithflu2faithfull1faithhful1faithufl2
Edit distance from "faithful"

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "faithful"?
"faithful" is spelled F-A-I-T-H-F-U-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfeɪθ.fl̩/.
What does "faithful" mean?
As an adjective, "faithful" means: Loyal; adhering firmly to person or cause.
What words are commonly confused with "faithful"?
"faithful" is commonly confused with "fateful", "faithfully". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "faithful"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "faithful" is /ˈfeɪθ.fl̩/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "faithful"?
From Middle English feithful, equivalent to faith + -ful. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Using “faithful”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is F-A-I-T-H-F-U-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈfeɪθ.fl̩/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “fateful” - see the side-by-side comparison. faithful vs fateful
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

Data Source

Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list