forbearance

/fɔːˈbɛː.ɹən(t)s/

//fɔːˈbɛː.ɹən(t)s// noun

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

"forbearance" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“forbearance” is uncommon English (frequency #54,186 among 18,613 “F” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#54,186
frequency rank, English
18,613
“F” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Patient self-control; restraint and tolerance under provocation.

Key facts for forbearance
PropertyValue
Headwordforbearance
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/fɔːˈbɛː.ɹən(t)s/
Letters11
Frequency rank#54,186
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “forbearance” 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). forbearance lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

forbearance is uncommon English at frequency #54,186 among 18,613 “F” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /fɔːˈbɛː.ɹən(t)s/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

forbearance doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From forbear + -ance. The correct English form is forbearance, spelled F-O-R-B-E-A-R-A-N-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Patient self-control; restraint and tolerance under provocation.
  2. 2
    A refraining from the enforcement of something (as a debt, right, or obligation) that is due.

Etymology

From forbear + -ance.

Synonyms

forgivenesspatiencerestraintthole

This word in other languages

templanza(Español)longanimité(Français)Langmut(Deutsch)paciência(Português)

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 "forbearance"?
"forbearance" is spelled F-O-R-B-E-A-R-A-N-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /fɔːˈbɛː.ɹən(t)s/.
What does "forbearance" mean?
As a noun, "forbearance" means: Patient self-control; restraint and tolerance under provocation.
How do you pronounce "forbearance"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "forbearance" is /fɔːˈbɛː.ɹən(t)s/. 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 "forbearance"?
From forbear + -ance. 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 “forbearance”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is F-O-R-B-E-A-R-A-N-C-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /fɔːˈbɛː.ɹən(t)s/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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