fallow

/ˈfæləʊ/

//ˈfæləʊ// noun

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

"fallow" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“fallow” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #35,715 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#35,715
frequency rank, English
6
letters
7
tracked misspellings
13
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Ground ploughed and harrowed but left unseeded for one year.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

fallow vs flow
67% similar
fallow vs falls
67% similar
fallow vs follow
83% similar

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

Key facts for fallow
PropertyValue
Headwordfallow
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈfæləʊ/
Letters6
Frequency rank#35,715
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs13
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “fallow” 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). fallow lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for fallow is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈfæləʊ/. Corpus data places it at rank #35,715 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for fallow, with forms such as "afllow", "falloww", and "fallwo". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 13 confusable-pair relationships, "flow", "falls", "follow", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: [Alt: A photograph of a ploughed field.] From Middle English falwe, from Old English fealh, fealg (“fallow land”), from Proto-West Germanic *falgu (compare Saterland Frisian Falge, West Frisian falig, felling, Dutch valg, German Felge), from Proto-Indo-Euro… The correct English form is fallow, spelled F-A-L-L-O-W.

Definition

  1. 1
    Ground ploughed and harrowed but left unseeded for one year.
  2. 2
    Uncultivated land.
  3. 3
    The ploughing or tilling of land, without sowing it for a season.

Etymology

[Alt: A photograph of a ploughed field.] From Middle English falwe, from Old English fealh, fealg (“fallow land”), from Proto-West Germanic *falgu (compare Saterland Frisian Falge, West Frisian falig, felling, Dutch valg, German Felge), from Proto-Indo-European *polḱéh₂ (“arable land”) (compare Gaulish olca, Russian полоса́ (polosá)).

This word in other languages

barbecho(Español)jachère(Français)Brache(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: afllow,falloww,fallwo,falolw,falow,ffallow,flalow

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of fallow - 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.

afllow2falloww1fallwo2falolw2falow1ffallow1flalow2
Edit distance from "fallow"

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 "fallow"?
"fallow" is spelled F-A-L-L-O-W. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfæləʊ/.
What does "fallow" mean?
As a noun, "fallow" means: Ground ploughed and harrowed but left unseeded for one year.
What words are commonly confused with "fallow"?
"fallow" is commonly confused with "flow", "falls", "follow". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "fallow"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "fallow" is /ˈfæləʊ/. 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 "fallow"?
[Alt: A photograph of a ploughed field.] From Middle English falwe, from Old English fealh, fealg (“fallow land”), from Proto-West Germanic *falgu (compare Saterland Frisian Falge, West Frisian falig, felling, Dutch valg, German Felge), from Proto... 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 “fallow”

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

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