forbidden fruit

/fə.ˈbɪ.dn̩ fɹuːt/

//fə.ˈbɪ.dn̩ fɹuːt// noun

"forbidden-fruit" is a 14-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“forbidden fruit” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
15
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The fruit forbidden to Adam.

Corpus desk

Index EN-forbidden-fruit · forbidden fruit · English

forbidden fruit · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 15 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "F" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for forbidden fruit
PropertyValue
Headwordforbidden fruit
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/fə.ˈbɪ.dn̩ fɹuːt/
Letters15
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “forbidden fruit” in English

forbidden fruitsits beyond the 100,000 most-frequent English words, in the long tail of technical, archaic, or otherwise rare vocabulary where spelling doubt tends to strike hardest.

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

Rare enough to double-check

forbidden fruit is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /fə.ˈbɪ.dn̩ fɹuːt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for forbidden fruit in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: With reference to Genesis 2:17: ‘But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.’ (KJV) The correct English form is forbidden fruit, spelled F-O-R-B-I-D-D-E-N- -F-R-U-I-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    The fruit forbidden to Adam.
  2. 2
    Illicit pleasure.
  3. 3
    Something desired that cannot be had.
  4. 4
    A small variety of shaddock (Citrus maxima), or sometimes other citrus fruits.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. She was forbidden fruit because she was his teacher. This taboo made him want a relationship with her even more.

Etymology

With reference to Genesis 2:17: ‘But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.’ (KJV)

This word in other languages

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 "forbidden fruit"?
"forbidden fruit" is spelled F-O-R-B-I-D-D-E-N- -F-R-U-I-T. The IPA pronunciation is /fə.ˈbɪ.dn̩ fɹuːt/.
What does "forbidden fruit" mean?
As a noun, "forbidden fruit" means: The fruit forbidden to Adam.
How do you pronounce "forbidden fruit"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "forbidden fruit" is /fə.ˈbɪ.dn̩ fɹuːt/. 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 fruit"?
With reference to Genesis 2:17: ‘But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.’ (KJV) 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list