favourable

/ˈfeɪv(ə)ɹəbəl/

//ˈfeɪv(ə)ɹəbəl// adj

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

"favourable" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“favourable” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #14,322. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#14,322
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords
15
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Apt to win favour; pleasing.

Corpus desk

Index EN-favourable · favourable · English

favourable · rank #14,322 · 15 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #14,322
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 15 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH Ferdinand

Nearest frequency peer: Ferdinand (+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 “favourable”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “favourable” 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).

favourable vs favourably
90% similar
favourable vs favorable
90% similar
favourable vs favorably
80% similar

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

Key facts for favourable
PropertyValue
Headwordfavourable
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈfeɪv(ə)ɹəbəl/
Letters10
Frequency rank#14,322
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “favourable”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).favourablelands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “Ferdinand” (#14,323), “exploding” (#14,320), “flourish” (#14,324). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “favourable” is #14,322. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around favourable (IPA /ˈfeɪv(ə)ɹəbəl/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #14,322 among 2,507 “F” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for favourable, with forms such as "afvourable", "faovurable", and "favoruable". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 3 confusable-pair relationships, "favourably", "favorable", "favorably", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English favourable, from Old French favorable, from Latin favōrābilis, from favor. By surface analysis, favour + -able. The correct English form is favourable, spelled F-A-V-O-U-R-A-B-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Apt to win favour; pleasing.
  2. 2
    Expressing or indicating favour or goodwill; approving, encouraging.
  3. 3
    Useful or helpful.
  4. 4
    Convenient or at a suitable time; opportune.
  5. 5
    Auspicious or lucky.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The candidate wearing the business suit made a favourable impression.
  2. The proposal has received many favourable comments.

Etymology

From Middle English favourable, from Old French favorable, from Latin favōrābilis, from favor. By surface analysis, favour + -able.

This word in other languages

favorable(Español)favorable(Français)günstig(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • afvourable
  • faovurable
  • favoruable
  • favouarble
  • favourabble
  • favourabel
  • favourablle
  • favouralbe
  • favourbale
  • favourible
  • favourrable
  • favuorable
  • favvourable
  • ffavourable
  • fvaourable

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

afvourable2faovurable2favoruable2favouarble2favourabble1favourabel2favourablle1favouralbe2
Edit distance from "favourable"

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 "favourable"?
"favourable" is spelled F-A-V-O-U-R-A-B-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfeɪv(ə)ɹəbəl/.
What does "favourable" mean?
As an adjective, "favourable" means: Apt to win favour; pleasing.
What words are commonly confused with "favourable"?
"favourable" is commonly confused with "favourably", "favorable", "favorably". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "favourable"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "favourable" is /ˈfeɪv(ə)ɹəbəl/. 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 "favourable"?
From Middle English favourable, from Old French favorable, from Latin favōrābilis, from favor. By surface analysis, favour + -able. 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 "favourable", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

distinctly#14,315Gloucester#14,331harvesting#14,335conversely#14,301

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (15 here; floor ≥5).

fragrance15 variantsAntarctica15 variantsunreliable15 variantsinvaluable15 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list