fodder

/ˈfɒdə/

//ˈfɒdə// noun

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

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

The verdict

“fodder” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #18,082 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#18,082
frequency rank, English
6
letters
7
tracked misspellings
13
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Food for animals; that which is fed to cattle, horses, and sheep, such as hay, cornstalks, vegetables, etc.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

fodder vs foyer
67% similar
fodder vs former
67% similar
fodder vs foster
67% similar

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

Key facts for fodder
PropertyValue
Headwordfodder
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈfɒdə/
Letters6
Frequency rank#18,082
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs13
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “fodder” 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). fodder 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 fodder is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈfɒdə/. Corpus data places it at rank #18,082 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for fodder, with forms such as "fdoder", "ffodder", and "fodderr". 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 13 confusable-pair relationships, "foyer", "former", "foster", 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 fodder, foder, from Old English fōdor (“feed; fodder”), from Proto-West Germanic *fōdr, from Proto-Germanic *fōdrą, from *fōdô (“food”), from Proto-Indo-European *peh₂- (“to guard, graze, feed”). Compare Saterland Frisian Fodder, West Fr… The correct English form is fodder, spelled F-O-D-D-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Food for animals; that which is fed to cattle, horses, and sheep, such as hay, cornstalks, vegetables, etc.
  2. 2
    A load: various English units of weight or volume based upon standardized cartloads of certain commodities, generally around 1000 kg.
  3. 3
    Tracing paper.
  4. 4
    Stuff; material; something that serves as inspiration or encouragement, especially for satire or humour.
  5. 5
    The text to be operated on (anagrammed, etc.) within a clue.
  6. 6
    People considered to have negligible value and easily available or expendable.

Etymology

From Middle English fodder, foder, from Old English fōdor (“feed; fodder”), from Proto-West Germanic *fōdr, from Proto-Germanic *fōdrą, from *fōdô (“food”), from Proto-Indo-European *peh₂- (“to guard, graze, feed”). Compare Saterland Frisian Fodder, West Frisian foer, Dutch voer (“pasture; fodder”), German Futter (“fodder; feed”), Danish foder, Swedish foder. More at food.

Synonyms

load

This word in other languages

forraje(Español)fourrage(Français)Futter(Deutsch)forragem(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: fdoder,ffodder,fodderr,foddre,fodedr,foder,ofdder

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of fodder - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

fdoder2ffodder1fodderr1foddre2fodedr2foder1ofdder2
Edit distance from "fodder"

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 "fodder"?
"fodder" is spelled F-O-D-D-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfɒdə/.
What does "fodder" mean?
As a noun, "fodder" means: Food for animals; that which is fed to cattle, horses, and sheep, such as hay, cornstalks, vegetables, etc.
What words are commonly confused with "fodder"?
"fodder" is commonly confused with "foyer", "former", "foster". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "fodder"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "fodder" is /ˈfɒdə/. 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 "fodder"?
From Middle English fodder, foder, from Old English fōdor (“feed; fodder”), from Proto-West Germanic *fōdr, from Proto-Germanic *fōdrą, from *fōdô (“food”), from Proto-Indo-European *peh₂- (“to guard, graze, feed”). Compare Saterland Frisian Fodde... 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 “fodder”

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

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