ferret

/ˈfɛɹɪt/

//ˈfɛɹɪt// noun

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

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

The verdict

“ferret” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #28,546. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#28,546
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
10
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - An often domesticated mammal (Mustela putorius furo) rather like a weasel, descended from the polecat and often trained to hunt burrowing animals.

Corpus desk

Index EN-ferret · ferret · English

ferret · rank #28,546 · 7 variants · 10 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #28,546
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 10 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH fecal

Nearest frequency peer: fecal (-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 “ferret”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “ferret” 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).

ferret vs fret
67% similar
ferret vs ferry
67% similar
ferret vs forget
67% similar

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

Key facts for ferret
PropertyValue
Headwordferret
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈfɛɹɪt/
Letters6
Frequency rank#28,546
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs10
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “ferret”

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).ferretlands 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 “fecal” (#28,545), “fainting” (#28,544), “financier” (#28,548). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “ferret” is #28,546. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around ferret (IPA /ˈfɛɹɪt/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #28,546 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 ferret, with forms such as "efrret", "ferert", and "feret". 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 10 confusable-pair relationships, "fret", "ferry", "forget", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English furet, ferret, from Old French furet, from Vulgar Latin *furittum (“weasel, ferret”), diminutive of Latin fūr (“thief”). The correct English form is ferret, spelled F-E-R-R-E-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    An often domesticated mammal (Mustela putorius furo) rather like a weasel, descended from the polecat and often trained to hunt burrowing animals.
  2. 2
    A black-footed ferret (Mustela nigripes).
  3. 3
    A diligent searcher.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. The most challenging documentary discoveries were made by a tenacious archival ferret, Dr Antonio Bertoletti. In 1879 he published his findings in a slim, refreshingly dry volume, Francesco Cenci e la sua Famiglia.

Etymology

From Middle English furet, ferret, from Old French furet, from Vulgar Latin *furittum (“weasel, ferret”), diminutive of Latin fūr (“thief”).

This word in other languages

hurón(Español)furet(Français)Frettchen(Deutsch)furão(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • efrret
  • ferert
  • feret
  • ferrett
  • ferrte
  • fferret
  • freret

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

efrret2ferert2feret1ferrett1ferrte2fferret1freret2
Edit distance from "ferret"

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 "ferret"?
"ferret" is spelled F-E-R-R-E-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfɛɹɪt/.
What does "ferret" mean?
As a noun, "ferret" means: An often domesticated mammal (Mustela putorius furo) rather like a weasel, descended from the polecat and often trained to hunt burrowing animals.
What words are commonly confused with "ferret"?
"ferret" is commonly confused with "fret", "ferry", "forget". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "ferret"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "ferret" is /ˈfɛɹɪt/. 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 "ferret"?
From Middle English furet, ferret, from Old French furet, from Vulgar Latin *furittum (“weasel, ferret”), diminutive of Latin fūr (“thief”). 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 "ferret", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

eyelid#28,543fitter#28,549Garvey#28,559gassed#28,560

Similar misspelling depth

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

fecal7 variantsexpat7 variantsDSLR7 variantsdecal7 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list