follower

/ˈfɒləʊə(ɹ)/

//ˈfɒləʊə(ɹ)// noun

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

"follower" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“follower” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #13,721 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#13,721
frequency rank, English
8
letters
10
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - One who follows, comes after another.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

follower vs follows
75% similar
follower vs followup
75% similar
follower vs follow
75% similar

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

Key facts for follower
PropertyValue
Headwordfollower
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈfɒləʊə(ɹ)/
Letters8
Frequency rank#13,721
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “follower” 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). follower 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 follower is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈfɒləʊə(ɹ)/. Corpus data places it at rank #13,721 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 15 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for follower, with forms such as "ffollower", "flolower", and "folloewr". 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 5 confusable-pair relationships, "follows", "followup", "follow", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English folwer, folwere, folewer, from Old English folgere (“follower; attendant; disciple”), equivalent to follow + -er. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Foulger, West Frisian folger, Dutch volger, German Folger, Swedish följare. The correct English form is follower, spelled F-O-L-L-O-W-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    One who follows, comes after another.
  2. 2
    Something that comes after another thing.
  3. 3
    One who is a part of master's physical group, such as a servant or retainer.
  4. 4
    One who follows mentally, adherer to the opinions, ideas or teachings of another, a movement etc.
  5. 5
    An imitator, who follows another's example.
  6. 6
    A pursuer.
  7. 7
    An account holder who subscribes to see content from another account on a social media platform.
  8. 8
    A machine part receiving motion from another.
  9. 9
    A machine part receiving motion from another.
  10. 10
    A man courting a maidservant; a suitor.
  11. 11
    Young cattle.
  12. 12
    A metal piece placed at the top of a candle to keep the wax melting evenly.
  13. 13
    Any of the three players (the ruckman, ruck rover, and rover) who usually follow the ball around the ground rather than occupying a fixed position.
  14. 14
    A debt collector.
  15. 15
    A tool used to remove the core from a pin-tumbler lock without causing the driver pins and springs to fall out.

Etymology

From Middle English folwer, folwere, folewer, from Old English folgere (“follower; attendant; disciple”), equivalent to follow + -er. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Foulger, West Frisian folger, Dutch volger, German Folger, Swedish följare.

Antonyms

leaderprecursor

This word in other languages

seguidor(Español)disciple(Français)Nachfolger(Deutsch)seguidor(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ffollower,flolower,folloewr,followerr,followre,followwer,follwoer,fololwer,folower,ofllower

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ffollower1flolower2folloewr2followerr1followre2followwer1follwoer2fololwer2
Edit distance from "follower"

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 "follower"?
"follower" is spelled F-O-L-L-O-W-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfɒləʊə(ɹ)/.
What does "follower" mean?
As a noun, "follower" means: One who follows, comes after another.
What words are commonly confused with "follower"?
"follower" is commonly confused with "follows", "followup", "follow". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "follower"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "follower" is /ˈfɒləʊə(ɹ)/. 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 "follower"?
From Middle English folwer, folwere, folewer, from Old English folgere (“follower; attendant; disciple”), equivalent to follow + -er. Cognate with Saterland Frisian Foulger, West Frisian folger, Dutch volger, German Folger, Swedish följare. 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 “follower”

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

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