forbidden

/fə.ˈbɪ.dn̩/

//fə.ˈbɪ.dn̩// adj

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

"forbidden" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“forbidden” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #7,565. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#7,565
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Not allowed; specifically disallowed.

Corpus desk

Index EN-forbidden · forbidden · English

forbidden · rank #7,565 · 12 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-COMMON #7,565
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH flu

Nearest frequency peer: flu (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “forbidden”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “forbidden” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

forbidden vs forbidding
80% similar

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

Key facts for forbidden
PropertyValue
Headwordforbidden
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/fə.ˈbɪ.dn̩/
Letters9
Frequency rank#7,565
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “forbidden”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).forbiddenlands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “flu” (#7,564), “fraction” (#7,566), “Florence” (#7,563). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “forbidden” is #7,565. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around forbidden (IPA /fə.ˈbɪ.dn̩/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #7,565 among 2,507 “F” headwords. Dominant gloss: "Not allowed; specifically disallowed.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for forbidden, with forms such as "fforbidden", "fobridden", and "forbbidden". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "forbidding", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Past participle of the verb forbid. Doublet of verboten. Compare German verboten, Dutch verboden, Swedish förbjuden, and West Frisian ferbean. The correct English form is forbidden, spelled F-O-R-B-I-D-D-E-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Not allowed; specifically disallowed.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how forbidden appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Maſters commands come with a power reſiſtleſs / To ſuch as owe them abſolute ſubjection; / And for a life who will not change his purpoſe? / (So mutable are all the ways of men) / Yet this be ſure, in nothing to comply / Scandalous or forbidden in our Law.
  2. This kind of immediate control structure we take to be characteristic of the tribe, and it leads to a rather rigid type of system in which 'every action not mandatory is forbidden'.

Etymology

Past participle of the verb forbid. Doublet of verboten. Compare German verboten, Dutch verboden, Swedish förbjuden, and West Frisian ferbean.

Synonyms

banneddisallowedforbiddenillegalillicitinterdictednonallowednonlicetprohibitedproscribedproscriptunallowedunpermittedverboten

Antonyms

allowedauthorizedlawfulpermittedunforbidden

This word in other languages

vedado(Español)interdit(Français)verboten(Deutsch)proibido(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • fforbidden
  • fobridden
  • forbbidden
  • forbdiden
  • forbiddenn
  • forbiddne
  • forbidedn
  • forbiden
  • foribdden
  • forrbidden
  • frobidden
  • ofrbidden

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

fforbidden1fobridden2forbbidden1forbdiden2forbiddenn1forbiddne2forbidedn2forbiden1
Edit distance from "forbidden"

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 "forbidden"?
"forbidden" is spelled F-O-R-B-I-D-D-E-N. The IPA pronunciation is /fə.ˈbɪ.dn̩/.
What does "forbidden" mean?
As an adjective, "forbidden" means: Not allowed; specifically disallowed.
What words are commonly confused with "forbidden"?
"forbidden" is commonly confused with "forbidding". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "forbidden"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "forbidden" is /fə.ˈbɪ.dn̩/. 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 "forbidden"?
Past participle of the verb forbid. Doublet of verboten. Compare German verboten, Dutch verboden, Swedish förbjuden, and West Frisian ferbean. 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "forbidden", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

detention#7,555countless#7,549packaging#7,589clearance#7,540

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

integral12 variantsexplicit12 variantsinvestor12 variantsdisputes12 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list