footage

/ˈfʊtɪd͡ʒ/

//ˈfʊtɪd͡ʒ// noun

"footage" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“footage” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #4,237 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#4,237
frequency rank, English
7
letters
9
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An amount of film or tape that has been used to record something.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

footage vs forage
71% similar
footage vs frontage
75% similar
footage vs foliage
71% similar

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

Key facts for footage
PropertyValue
Headwordfootage
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈfʊtɪd͡ʒ/
Letters7
Frequency rank#4,237
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “footage” 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). footage 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 footage is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈfʊtɪd͡ʒ/. Corpus data places it at rank #4,237 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for footage, with forms such as "ffootage", "fooatge", and "footaeg". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "forage", "frontage", "foliage", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From foot (unit of length) + -age. The correct English form is footage, spelled F-O-O-T-A-G-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    An amount of film or tape that has been used to record something.
  2. 2
    A measurement in feet.

Etymology

From foot (unit of length) + -age.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ffootage,fooatge,footaeg,footagge,footgae,foottage,fotage,fotoage,ofotage

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ffootage1fooatge2footaeg2footagge1footgae2foottage1fotage1fotoage2
Edit distance from "footage"

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 "footage"?
"footage" is spelled F-O-O-T-A-G-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfʊtɪd͡ʒ/.
What does "footage" mean?
As a noun, "footage" means: An amount of film or tape that has been used to record something.
What words are commonly confused with "footage"?
"footage" is commonly confused with "forage", "frontage", "foliage". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "footage"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "footage" is /ˈfʊtɪd͡ʒ/. 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 "footage"?
From foot (unit of length) + -age. 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 “footage”

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

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