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” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #30,047 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#30,047
frequency rank, English
6
letters
6
tracked misspellings
19
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A headband; a ribbon or other band used to tie the hair up, or keep a headdress in place, or for decoration.

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)

Where “fillet” 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). fillet 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 fillet is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈfɪl.ɪt/. Corpus data places it at rank #30,047 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 15 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

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.

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.

Using “fillet”

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

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