fifties

/ˈfɪftiz/

//ˈfɪftiz// noun

"fifties" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“fifties” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #22,085 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#22,085
frequency rank, English
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings
4
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - plural of fifty

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

fifties vs forties
71% similar
fifties vs fiftieth
75% similar
fifties vs fifths
71% similar

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

Key facts for fifties
PropertyValue
Headwordfifties
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈfɪftiz/
Letters7
Frequency rank#22,085
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs4
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “fifties” 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). fifties 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 fifties is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈfɪftiz/. Corpus data places it at rank #22,085 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "plural of fifty".

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for fifties, with forms such as "ffifties", "ffities", and "fiffties". 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 4 confusable-pair relationships, "forties", "fiftieth", "fifths", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Wiktionary doesn't record an etymology for this headword, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct English form is fifties, spelled F-I-F-T-I-E-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    plural of fifty

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ffifties,ffities,fiffties,fifites,fifteis,fiftiess,fiftise,fiftties,fitfies,iffties

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ffifties1ffities2fiffties1fifites2fifteis2fiftiess1fiftise2fiftties1
Edit distance from "fifties"

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 "fifties"?
"fifties" is spelled F-I-F-T-I-E-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfɪftiz/.
What does "fifties" mean?
As a noun, "fifties" means: plural of fifty
What words are commonly confused with "fifties"?
"fifties" is commonly confused with "forties", "fiftieth", "fifths". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "fifties"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "fifties" is /ˈfɪftiz/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "fifties" come from?
"fifties" is a English word. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data for this and other words across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German on PlainSpell.
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 “fifties”

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

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