fasten

/ˈfɑːsn̩/

//ˈfɑːsn̩// verb

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

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

The verdict

“fasten” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #29,649. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#29,649
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
16
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To attach or connect in a secure manner.

Corpus desk

Index EN-fasten · fasten · English

fasten · rank #29,649 · 9 variants · 16 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #29,649
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 16 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH fascia

Nearest frequency peer: fascia (-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 “fasten”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “fasten” 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).

fasten vs fate
67% similar
fasten vs fated
67% similar
fasten vs Fates
50% similar

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

Key facts for fasten
PropertyValue
Headwordfasten
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈfɑːsn̩/
Letters6
Frequency rank#29,649
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs16
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “fasten”

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).fastenlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “fascia” (#29,648), “fatherland” (#29,650), “factored” (#29,647). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “fasten” is #29,649. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around fasten (IPA /ˈfɑːsn̩/), averb. Corpus frequency is #29,649 among 2,507 “F” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for fasten, with forms such as "afsten", "fasetn", and "fassten". 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 16 confusable-pair relationships, "fate", "fated", "Fates", and more, 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 fastenen, from Old English fæstnian, from Proto-West Germanic *fastinōn (“to secure, fasten”). Equivalent to fast + -en. The correct English form is fasten, spelled F-A-S-T-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    To attach or connect in a secure manner.
  2. 2
    To cause to take close effect; to make to tell; to land.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The sailor fastened the boat to the dock with a half-hitch.
  2. Fasten your seat belts!

Etymology

From Middle English fastenen, from Old English fæstnian, from Proto-West Germanic *fastinōn (“to secure, fasten”). Equivalent to fast + -en.

This word in other languages

atar(Español)attacher(Français)befestigen(Deutsch)apertar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • afsten
  • fasetn
  • fassten
  • fastenn
  • fastne
  • fastten
  • fatsen
  • ffasten
  • fsaten

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of fasten - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

afsten2fasetn2fassten1fastenn1fastne2fastten1fatsen2ffasten1
Edit distance from "fasten"

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 "fasten"?
"fasten" is spelled F-A-S-T-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfɑːsn̩/.
What does "fasten" mean?
As a verb, "fasten" means: To attach or connect in a secure manner.
What words are commonly confused with "fasten"?
"fasten" is commonly confused with "fate", "fated", "Fates". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "fasten"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "fasten" is /ˈfɑːsn̩/. 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 "fasten"?
From Middle English fastenen, from Old English fæstnian, from Proto-West Germanic *fastinōn (“to secure, fasten”). Equivalent to fast + -en. 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 "fasten", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

fascia#29,648foiled#29,659drifts#29,634frigid#29,664

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

equated9 variantsflatten9 variantsdocket9 variantsgasket9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list