fillet

/ˈfɪl.ɪt/

//ˈfɪl.ɪt// noun

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

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

The verdict

“fillet” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #30,047. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#30,047
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
19
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A headband; a ribbon or other band used to tie the hair up, or keep a headdress in place, or for decoration.

Corpus desk

Index EN-fillet · fillet · English

fillet · rank #30,047 · 6 variants · 19 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #30,047
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 19 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH FHA

Nearest frequency peer: FHA (-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 “fillet”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “fillet” 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).

fillet vs fleet
67% similar
fillet vs fills
67% similar
fillet vs filly
67% similar

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

Key facts for fillet
PropertyValue
Headwordfillet
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈfɪl.ɪt/
Letters6
Frequency rank#30,047
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs19
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “fillet”

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).filletlands 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 “FHA” (#30,046), “firmer” (#30,048), “fez” (#30,045). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “fillet” is #30,047. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around fillet (IPA /ˈfɪl.ɪt/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #30,047 among 2,507 “F” headwords. Wiktionary lists 15 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for fillet, with forms such as "ffillet", "filelt", and "fillett". 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 19 confusable-pair relationships, "fleet", "fills", "filly", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English filet, vylette, felet, filette, flette, from Old French filet, diminutive of fil (“thread”), from Latin fīlum (“thread”). The correct English form is fillet, spelled F-I-L-L-E-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A headband; a ribbon or other band used to tie the hair up, or keep a headdress in place, or for decoration.
  2. 2
    A thin strip of any material, in various technical uses.
  3. 3
    A heavy bead of waterproofing compound or sealant material generally installed at the point where vertical and horizontal surfaces meet.
  4. 4
    A rounded relief or cut at an edge, especially an inside edge, added for a finished appearance and to break sharp edges.
  5. 5
    A strip or compact piece of meat or fish from which any bones and skin and feathers have been removed.
  6. 6
    A premium cut of meat, especially beef, taken from below the lower back of the animal, considered to be lean and tender; also called tenderloin.
  7. 7
    A thin featureless moulding/molding used as separation between broader decorative mouldings.
  8. 8
    The space between two flutings in a shaft.
  9. 9
    An ordinary equal in breadth to one quarter of the chief, to the lowest portion of which it corresponds in position.
  10. 10
    The thread of a screw.
  11. 11
    A colored or gilded border.
  12. 12
    The raised moulding around the muzzle of a gun.
  13. 13
    Any scantling smaller than a batten.
  14. 14
    A fascia; a band of fibres; applied especially to certain bands of white matter in the brain.
  15. 15
    The loins of a horse, beginning at the place where the hinder part of the saddle rests.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. In secret shadow, farre from all mens sight: From her faire head her fillet she undight, And laid her stole aside.
  2. A fillet binds her hair.

Etymology

From Middle English filet, vylette, felet, filette, flette, from Old French filet, diminutive of fil (“thread”), from Latin fīlum (“thread”).

Synonyms

filet

Antonyms

round

This word in other languages

filete(Español)congé(Français)Haargummi(Deutsch)filé(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ffillet
  • filelt
  • fillett
  • fillte
  • flilet
  • ifllet

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of fillet - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

ffillet1filelt2fillett1fillte2flilet2ifllet2
Edit distance from "fillet"

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 "fillet"?
"fillet" is spelled F-I-L-L-E-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfɪl.ɪt/.
What does "fillet" mean?
As a noun, "fillet" means: A headband; a ribbon or other band used to tie the hair up, or keep a headdress in place, or for decoration.
What words are commonly confused with "fillet"?
"fillet" is commonly confused with "fleet", "fills", "filly". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "fillet"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "fillet" is /ˈfɪl.ɪt/. 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 "fillet"?
From Middle English filet, vylette, felet, filette, flette, from Old French filet, diminutive of fil (“thread”), from Latin fīlum (“thread”). 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 "fillet", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

firmer#30,048Franck#30,051garter#30,056Handel#30,076

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

gels6 variantsgoode6 variantsEmmys6 variantsgummy6 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list