follow

/ˈfɒləʊ/

//ˈfɒləʊ// verb

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

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

The verdict

“follow” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #747 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#747
frequency rank, English
6
letters
7
tracked misspellings
12
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To go after; to pursue; to move behind in the same path or direction, especially with the intent of catching.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

follow vs folly
67% similar
follow vs Folsom
50% similar
follow vs follows
86% similar

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

Key facts for follow
PropertyValue
Headwordfollow
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈfɒləʊ/
Letters6
Frequency rank#747
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs12
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “follow” 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). follow 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 follow is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈfɒləʊ/. Corpus data places it at rank #747 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 9 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 follow, with forms such as "ffollow", "flolow", and "followw". 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 12 confusable-pair relationships, "folly", "Folsom", "follows", 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 folwen, folȝen, folgen, from Old English folgian (“to follow, pursue”), from Proto-West Germanic *folgēn, from Proto-Germanic *fulgāną (“to follow”). The correct English form is follow, spelled F-O-L-L-O-W.

Definition

  1. 1
    To go after; to pursue; to move behind in the same path or direction, especially with the intent of catching.
  2. 2
    To go or come after in a sequence.
  3. 3
    To carry out (orders, instructions, etc.).
  4. 4
    To live one's life according to (religion, teachings, etc).
  5. 5
    To understand, to pay attention to.
  6. 6
    To watch, to keep track of (reports of) some event or person.
  7. 7
    To subscribe to see content from an account on a social media platform.
  8. 8
    To be a logical consequence of something.
  9. 9
    To walk in, as a road or course; to attend upon closely, as a profession or calling.

Etymology

From Middle English folwen, folȝen, folgen, from Old English folgian (“to follow, pursue”), from Proto-West Germanic *folgēn, from Proto-Germanic *fulgāną (“to follow”).

This word in other languages

seguir(Español)suivre(Français)folgen(Deutsch)seguir(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ffollow,flolow,followw,follwo,fololw,folow,ofllow

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ffollow1flolow2followw1follwo2fololw2folow1ofllow2
Edit distance from "follow"

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 "follow"?
"follow" is spelled F-O-L-L-O-W. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfɒləʊ/.
What does "follow" mean?
As a verb, "follow" means: To go after; to pursue; to move behind in the same path or direction, especially with the intent of catching.
What words are commonly confused with "follow"?
"follow" is commonly confused with "folly", "Folsom", "follows". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "follow"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "follow" is /ˈfɒləʊ/. 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 "follow"?
From Middle English folwen, folȝen, folgen, from Old English folgian (“to follow, pursue”), from Proto-West Germanic *folgēn, from Proto-Germanic *fulgāną (“to follow”). 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 “follow”

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

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