fester

/ˈfɛstə(ɹ)/

//ˈfɛstə(ɹ)// noun

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

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

The verdict

“fester” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #38,838. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#38,838
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A fistula.

Corpus desk

Index EN-fester · fester · English

fester · rank #38,838 · 9 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #38,838
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH felling

Nearest frequency peer: felling (-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 “fester”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “fester” 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).

fester vs fete
67% similar
fester vs fewer
67% similar
fester vs fever
67% similar

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

Key facts for fester
PropertyValue
Headwordfester
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈfɛstə(ɹ)/
Letters6
Frequency rank#38,838
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “fester”

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).festerlands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “felling” (#38,837), “feuding” (#38,839), “Farnham” (#38,836). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “fester” is #38,838. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around fester (IPA /ˈfɛstə(ɹ)/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #38,838 among 2,507 “F” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for fester, with forms such as "efster", "fesetr", and "fesster". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "fete", "fewer", "fever", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Inherited from Middle English festre, festur, borrowed from Old French festre (cognate with Italian fistola, Occitan fistola, Spanish fístula), from Latin fistula. The verb is derived from the noun, while the “condition of something that festers” noun sense… The correct English form is fester, spelled F-E-S-T-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A fistula.
  2. 2
    A sore or an ulcer of the skin.
  3. 3
    The condition of something that festers; a festering; a festerment.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The larger the Spider, the warmer the climate or season of the year, and the more susceptible the wounded individual, so much worse will the effects be; and it is no therefore no wonder that people who would have a fester from a simple prick with a needle, should feel more violent effects from the bite of a Spider.
  2. While to the fingers and toes, which are frequently the seat of spontaneous festers, &c., irritation is kept up [if a hot poultice is applied], the skin is thickened, and rendered less liable to be permeated by matter; the heat is driven down the soft structures to the very bones and joints, and a portion of them may be lost in consequence.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English festre, festur, borrowed from Old French festre (cognate with Italian fistola, Occitan fistola, Spanish fístula), from Latin fistula. The verb is derived from the noun, while the “condition of something that festers” noun sense is derived from the verb. Doublet of fistula.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • efster
  • fesetr
  • fesster
  • festerr
  • festre
  • festter
  • fetser
  • ffester
  • fseter

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

efster2fesetr2fesster1festerr1festre2festter1fetser2ffester1
Edit distance from "fester"

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 "fester"?
"fester" is spelled F-E-S-T-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfɛstə(ɹ)/.
What does "fester" mean?
As a noun, "fester" means: A fistula.
What words are commonly confused with "fester"?
"fester" is commonly confused with "fete", "fewer", "fever". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "fester"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "fester" is /ˈfɛstə(ɹ)/. 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 "fester"?
Inherited from Middle English festre, festur, borrowed from Old French festre (cognate with Italian fistola, Occitan fistola, Spanish fístula), from Latin fistula. The verb is derived from the noun, while the “condition of something that festers” ... 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 "fester", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

flexed#38,840Furman#38,854Gaiman#38,855Gallic#38,857

Similar misspelling depth

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

Gilroy9 variantsdigress9 variantsGunter9 variantshillman9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list