finger

/ˈfɪŋɡə/

//ˈfɪŋɡə// noun

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

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

The verdict

“finger” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #3,104. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#3,104
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A slender jointed extremity of the human hand, (often) exclusive of the thumb.

Corpus desk

Index EN-finger · finger · English

finger · rank #3,104 · 9 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #3,104
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH exists

Nearest frequency peer: exists (-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 “finger”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “finger” 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).

finger vs fixer
67% similar
finger vs fiver
67% similar
finger vs fisher
67% similar

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

Key facts for finger
PropertyValue
Headwordfinger
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈfɪŋɡə/
Letters6
Frequency rank#3,104
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “finger”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).fingerlands 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 “exists” (#3,103), “grey” (#3,105), “earn” (#3,102). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “finger” is #3,104. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around finger (IPA /ˈfɪŋɡə/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #3,104 among 2,507 “F” headwords. Wiktionary lists 34 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for finger, with forms such as "ffinger", "figner", and "finegr". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "fixer", "fiver", "fisher", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: PIE word *pénkʷe From Middle English fynger, finger, from Old English finger (“finger”), from Proto-West Germanic *fingr, from Proto-Germanic *fingraz (“finger”), from Proto-Indo-European *penkʷrós, from *pénkʷe (“five”). Compare West Frisian finger, Low G… The correct English form is finger, spelled F-I-N-G-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A slender jointed extremity of the human hand, (often) exclusive of the thumb.
  2. 2
    Similar or similar-looking extremities in other animals, particularly
  3. 3
    Similar or similar-looking extremities in other animals
  4. 4
    Similar or similar-looking extremities in other animals
  5. 5
    Similar or similar-looking extremities in other animals
  6. 6
    Something similar in shape to the human finger, particularly
  7. 7
    Something similar in shape to the human finger
  8. 8
    Something similar in shape to the human finger
  9. 9
    Something similar in shape to the human finger
  10. 10
    Something similarly extending, (especially) from a larger body, particularly
  11. 11
    Something similarly extending, (especially) from a larger body
  12. 12
    Something similarly extending, (especially) from a larger body
  13. 13
    Something similarly extending, (especially) from a larger body
  14. 14
    Something similarly extending, (especially) from a larger body
  15. 15
    Something similarly extending, (especially) from a larger body
  16. 16
    Something similarly extending, (especially) from a larger body
  17. 17
    Something similarly extending, (especially) from a larger body
  18. 18
    Something similar in function or agency to the human finger, (usually) with regard to touching, grasping, or pointing.
  19. 19
    Something similar in function or agency to the human finger, (usually) with regard to touching, grasping, or pointing.
  20. 20
    Something similar in function or agency to the human finger, (usually) with regard to touching, grasping, or pointing.
  21. 21
    Something similar in function or agency to the human finger, (usually) with regard to touching, grasping, or pointing.
  22. 22
    Something similar in function or agency to the human finger, (usually) with regard to touching, grasping, or pointing.
  23. 23
    Something similar in function or agency to the human finger, (usually) with regard to touching, grasping, or pointing.
  24. 24
    Various units of measure based or notionally based on the adult human finger, particularly
  25. 25
    Various units of measure based or notionally based on the adult human finger, particularly
  26. 26
    Various units of measure based or notionally based on the adult human finger, particularly
  27. 27
    Various units of measure based or notionally based on the adult human finger, particularly
  28. 28
    A part of a glove intended to cover a finger.
  29. 29
    Skill in the use of the fingers, as in playing upon a musical instrument.
  30. 30
    Someone skilled in the use of their fingers, (especially) a pickpocket.
  31. 31
    A person.
  32. 32
    An obscene or insulting gesture made by raising one's middle finger towards someone with the palm of one's hand facing inwards.
  33. 33
    Any of the individual receivers used in a rake receiver to decode signal components.
  34. 34
    An act of fingering (inserting a finger into someone's vagina or rectum for sexual pleasure).

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Humans have two hands and ten fingers. Each hand has one thumb and four fingers.
  2. [M]aking a Cut here big enough to put her Finger in, which ſhe thruſts under the Guts, and with it rakes or tears out the Stone that lies neareſt to it.

Etymology

PIE word *pénkʷe From Middle English fynger, finger, from Old English finger (“finger”), from Proto-West Germanic *fingr, from Proto-Germanic *fingraz (“finger”), from Proto-Indo-European *penkʷrós, from *pénkʷe (“five”). Compare West Frisian finger, Low German/German Finger, Dutch vinger, Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish finger; also Old Armenian հինգեր-որդ (hinger-ord, “fifth”). More at five.

Synonyms

toeclawtalontendriljet bridgedigitinformantfingering techniquetouchblokeladboyguvfingerlupper

This word in other languages

dedo(Español)doigt(Français)Finger(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ffinger
  • figner
  • finegr
  • fingerr
  • fingger
  • fingre
  • finnger
  • fniger
  • ifnger

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ffinger1figner2finegr2fingerr1fingger1fingre2finnger1fniger2
Edit distance from "finger"

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 "finger"?
"finger" is spelled F-I-N-G-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfɪŋɡə/.
What does "finger" mean?
As a noun, "finger" means: A slender jointed extremity of the human hand, (often) exclusive of the thumb.
What words are commonly confused with "finger"?
"finger" is commonly confused with "fixer", "fiver", "fisher". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "finger"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "finger" is /ˈfɪŋɡə/. 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 "finger"?
PIE word *pénkʷe From Middle English fynger, finger, from Old English finger (“finger”), from Proto-West Germanic *fingr, from Proto-Germanic *fingraz (“finger”), from Proto-Indo-European *penkʷrós, from *pénkʷe (“five”). Compare West Frisian fin... 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 "finger", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

exists#3,103guitar#3,106Howard#3,108ignore#3,109

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

sought9 variantspocket9 variantsproved9 variantsriding9 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list