fist

/fɪst/

//fɪst// noun

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

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

The verdict

“fist” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #8,423 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#8,423
frequency rank, English
4
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A hand with the fingers clenched or curled inward.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

fist vs FS
0% similar
fist vs fit
75% similar
fist vs fix
50% similar

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

Key facts for fist
PropertyValue
Headwordfist
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/fɪst/
Letters4
Frequency rank#8,423
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “fist” 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). fist 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 fist is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /fɪst/. Corpus data places it at rank #8,423 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 7 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 fist, with forms such as "ffist", "fisst", and "fistt". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "FS", "fit", "fix", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English fist, from Old English fȳst (“fist”), from Proto-West Germanic *fūsti, of uncertain origin. Cognates Cognate with Yola fest, hist (“fist”), Saterland Frisian Fäste, Fääste (“fist”), Central Franconian Fuus (“fist”), Cimbrian bòista, vòis… The correct English form is fist, spelled F-I-S-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A hand with the fingers clenched or curled inward.
  2. 2
    Synonym of manicule.
  3. 3
    The characteristic signaling rhythm of an individual telegraph or CW operator when sending Morse code.
  4. 4
    A person's characteristic handwriting.
  5. 5
    A group of men.
  6. 6
    The talons of a bird of prey.
  7. 7
    An attempt at something.

Etymology

From Middle English fist, from Old English fȳst (“fist”), from Proto-West Germanic *fūsti, of uncertain origin. Cognates Cognate with Yola fest, hist (“fist”), Saterland Frisian Fäste, Fääste (“fist”), Central Franconian Fuus (“fist”), Cimbrian bòista, vòista (“fist”), Dutch vuist (“fist”), German Faust (“fist”), German Low German Fuust (“fist”), Luxembourgish Fauscht (“fist”), Yiddish פֿויסט (foyst, “fist”). More at five.

Synonyms

niefbunch of fivesfist-sizeductus

This word in other languages

puño(Español)poing(Français)Faust(Deutsch)punho(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ffist,fisst,fistt,fsit,ifst

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ffist1fisst1fistt1fsit2ifst2
Edit distance from "fist"

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 "fist"?
"fist" is spelled F-I-S-T. The IPA pronunciation is /fɪst/.
What does "fist" mean?
As a noun, "fist" means: A hand with the fingers clenched or curled inward.
What words are commonly confused with "fist"?
"fist" is commonly confused with "FS", "fit", "fix". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "fist"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "fist" is /fɪst/. 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 "fist"?
From Middle English fist, from Old English fȳst (“fist”), from Proto-West Germanic *fūsti, of uncertain origin. Cognates Cognate with Yola fest, hist (“fist”), Saterland Frisian Fäste, Fääste (“fist”), Central Franconian Fuus (“fist”), Cimbrian bò... 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 “fist”

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

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