fine

/faɪn/

//faɪn// adj

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

"fine" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“fine” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #586 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#586
frequency rank, English
4
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Senses referring to subjective quality.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

fine vs FN
0% similar
fine vs fun
50% similar
fine vs fit
50% similar

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

Key facts for fine
PropertyValue
Headwordfine
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/faɪn/
Letters4
Frequency rank#586
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “fine” 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). fine 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 fine is 4 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /faɪn/. Corpus data places it at rank #586 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 16 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for fine, with forms such as "ffine", "fien", and "finne". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "FN", "fun", "fit", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English fin, fyn, from Old French fin (“fine, minute, exact”), of obscure origin, but probably derived from Latin fīnīre (“to finish”) or fīnis (“boundary, limit, end”), with an abstract sense of fine or thin also arising in many Romance languag… The correct English form is fine, spelled F-I-N-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Senses referring to subjective quality.
  2. 2
    Senses referring to subjective quality.
  3. 3
    Senses referring to subjective quality.
  4. 4
    Senses referring to subjective quality.
  5. 5
    Senses referring to subjective quality.
  6. 6
    Senses referring to subjective quality.
  7. 7
    Senses referring to subjective quality.
  8. 8
    Senses referring to subjective quality.
  9. 9
    Senses referring to objective quality.
  10. 10
    Senses referring to objective quality.
  11. 11
    Senses referring to objective quality.
  12. 12
    Senses referring to objective quality.
  13. 13
    Senses referring to objective quality.
  14. 14
    Senses referring to objective quality.
  15. 15
    Behind the batsman and at a small angle to the line between the wickets.
  16. 16
    Subtle; thin; tenuous.

Etymology

From Middle English fin, fyn, from Old French fin (“fine, minute, exact”), of obscure origin, but probably derived from Latin fīnīre (“to finish”) or fīnis (“boundary, limit, end”), with an abstract sense of fine or thin also arising in many Romance languages (compare Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian fino). Doublet of fino.

This word in other languages

fino(Español)fin(Français)fein(Deutsch)bom(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ffine,fien,finne,fnie,ifne

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ffine1fien2finne1fnie2ifne2
Edit distance from "fine"

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 "fine"?
"fine" is spelled F-I-N-E. The IPA pronunciation is /faɪn/.
What does "fine" mean?
As an adjective, "fine" means: Senses referring to subjective quality.
What words are commonly confused with "fine"?
"fine" is commonly confused with "FN", "fun", "fit". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "fine"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "fine" is /faɪn/. 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 "fine"?
From Middle English fin, fyn, from Old French fin (“fine, minute, exact”), of obscure origin, but probably derived from Latin fīnīre (“to finish”) or fīnis (“boundary, limit, end”), with an abstract sense of fine or thin also arising in many Roman... 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 “fine”

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

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