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” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #35,715. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#35,715
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
13
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Ground ploughed and harrowed but left unseeded for one year.

Corpus desk

Index EN-fallow · fallow · English

fallow · rank #35,715 · 7 variants · 13 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #35,715
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 13 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH fac

Nearest frequency peer: fac (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “fallow”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “fallow” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

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)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “fallow”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).fallowlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “fac” (#35,714), “fanart” (#35,716), “expedient” (#35,713). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “fallow” is #35,715. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around fallow (IPA /ˈfæləʊ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #35,715 among 2,507 “F” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

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.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how fallow appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. By a complete summer fallow, land is rendered tender and mellow. The fallow gives it a better tilth than can be given by a fallow crop.

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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "fallow", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

fanart#35,716Elvira#35,705Durand#35,699Dundas#35,698

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

fermi7 variantsgaudy7 variantsgazed7 variantsgobble7 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list