# fetus

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈfiːtəs/ · frequency rank #12,977

## Definitions
1. An unborn or unhatched vertebrate showing signs of the mature animal.
2. A human embryo after the eighth week of gestation.
3. A neonate.

## Etymology
A learned borrowing from Latin fētus (“offspring”). Doublet of fawn.

## Easily confused with
- **feu** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fetus-vs-feu)
- **fits** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fetus-vs-fits)
- **feud** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fetus-vs-feud)
- **focus** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fetus-vs-focus)
- **frets** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fetus-vs-frets)
- **foetus** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fetus-vs-foetus)
- **FES** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fes-vs-fetus)
- **FET** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fet-vs-fetus)
- **fees** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fees-vs-fetus)
- **fats** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fats-vs-fetus)
- **feds** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/feds-vs-fetus)
- **feta** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/feta-vs-fetus)
- **fete** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fete-vs-fetus)
- **fess** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fess-vs-fetus)
- **feels** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/feels-vs-fetus)
- **fears** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fears-vs-fetus)
- **fetch** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fetch-vs-fetus)
- **fetal** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fetal-vs-fetus)
- **feces** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/feces-vs-fetus)
- **Fates** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fates-vs-fetus)

## Common misspellings (7)
`eftus`, `fetsu`, `fettus`, `fetuss`, `feuts`, `ffetus`, `fteus`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/fetus