fat

/ˈfæt/

//ˈfæt// adj

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

"fat" is a 3-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“fat” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,482 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#1,482
frequency rank, English
3
letters
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Carrying more fat than usual on one's body; plump; not lean or thin.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

fat vs fi
33% similar
fat vs FL
0% similar
fat vs FM
0% similar

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

Key facts for fat
PropertyValue
Headwordfat
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈfæt/
Letters3
Frequency rank#1,482
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “fat” 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). fat 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 fat is 3 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈfæt/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,482 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 16 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for fat, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "fi", "FL", "FM", 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 fat, from Old English fǣtt (“fatted, fat”), from Proto-West Germanic *faitid (“fatted”), originally the past participle of the verb *faitijan (“to make fat”), from *fait (“fat”). The correct English form is fat, spelled F-A-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Carrying more fat than usual on one's body; plump; not lean or thin.
  2. 2
    Thick; large.
  3. 3
    Bulbous; rotund.
  4. 4
    Bountiful.
  5. 5
    Oily; greasy; unctuous; rich (said of food).
  6. 6
    Exhibiting the qualities of a fat animal; coarse; heavy; gross; dull; stupid.
  7. 7
    Fertile; productive.
  8. 8
    Rich; producing a large income; desirable.
  9. 9
    Abounding in riches; affluent; fortunate.
  10. 10
    Of a character which enables the compositor to make large wages; said of matter containing blank, cuts, or many leads, etc.
  11. 11
    Being a shot in which the ground is struck before the ball.
  12. 12
    Of a role: significant; major; meaty.
  13. 13
    Being greatly or substantially such; real.
  14. 14
    Having a full or rich sound with strong bass and low-midrange presence.
  15. 15
    Carrying additional data or functionality.
  16. 16
    Alternative form of phat.

Etymology

From Middle English fat, from Old English fǣtt (“fatted, fat”), from Proto-West Germanic *faitid (“fatted”), originally the past participle of the verb *faitijan (“to make fat”), from *fait (“fat”).

Synonyms

chubbychunkycorpulentlardyobeseoverweightplumpporkyrotundtubbywell-fedthickbountifulprosperous

Antonyms

Of sense: leanskinnyslenderslimthin

This word in other languages

gordo(Español)gros(Français)dick(Deutsch)gordo(Português)

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 "fat"?
"fat" is spelled F-A-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfæt/.
What does "fat" mean?
As an adjective, "fat" means: Carrying more fat than usual on one's body; plump; not lean or thin.
What words are commonly confused with "fat"?
"fat" is commonly confused with "fi", "FL", "FM". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "fat"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "fat" is /ˈfæt/. 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 "fat"?
From Middle English fat, from Old English fǣtt (“fatted, fat”), from Proto-West Germanic *faitid (“fatted”), originally the past participle of the verb *faitijan (“to make fat”), from *fait (“fat”). 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 “fat”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is F-A-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈfæt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “fi” - see the side-by-side comparison. fat vs fi
  • 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