forbar

verb

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

The verdict

“forbar” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a verb - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
6
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To bar in; to shut up.

Key facts for forbar
PropertyValue
Headwordforbar
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
Letters6
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “forbar” sits in English frequency

forbar falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for forbar is 6 letters long, classified as a verb. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for forbar, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English forbarren (“to bar, bar up, block”), equivalent to for- + bar. Compare Middle High German verbarren (“to forbar”). The correct English form is forbar, spelled F-O-R-B-A-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    To bar in; to shut up.
  2. 2
    To bar, fend off, ward off.
  3. 3
    To exclude, deny.

Etymology

From Middle English forbarren (“to bar, bar up, block”), equivalent to for- + bar. Compare Middle High German verbarren (“to forbar”).

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "forbar"?
"forbar" is spelled F-O-R-B-A-R.
What does "forbar" mean?
As a verb, "forbar" means: To bar in; to shut up.
What is the origin of the word "forbar"?
From Middle English forbarren (“to bar, bar up, block”), equivalent to for- + bar. Compare Middle High German verbarren (“to forbar”). 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 “forbar”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is F-O-R-B-A-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • 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