forbidding

/fɚˈbɪdɪŋ/

//fɚˈbɪdɪŋ// adj

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

"forbidding" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“forbidding” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #26,427. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#26,427
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords
14
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Appearing to be threatening, unfriendly or potentially unpleasant.

Corpus desk

Index EN-forbidding · forbidding · English

forbidding · rank #26,427 · 14 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #26,427
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH foothold

Nearest frequency peer: foothold (-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 “forbidding”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “forbidding” 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).

forbidding vs forbidden
80% similar

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

Key facts for forbidding
PropertyValue
Headwordforbidding
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/fɚˈbɪdɪŋ/
Letters10
Frequency rank#26,427
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “forbidding”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).forbiddinglands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “foothold” (#26,426), “flexing” (#26,425), “fink” (#26,424). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “forbidding” is #26,427. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around forbidding (IPA /fɚˈbɪdɪŋ/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #26,427 among 2,507 “F” headwords. Dominant gloss: "Appearing to be threatening, unfriendly or potentially unpleasant.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for forbidding, with forms such as "fforbidding", "fobridding", and "forbbidding". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "forbidden", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: By surface analysis, forbid + -ing. The correct English form is forbidding, spelled F-O-R-B-I-D-D-I-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    Appearing to be threatening, unfriendly or potentially unpleasant.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. What cause, cry’d he, can justify our flight, To tempt the dangers of forbidding night?
  2. […] he was discovered to be proud, to be above his company, and above being pleased; and not all his large estate in Derbyshire could then save him from having a most forbidding, disagreeable countenance, and being unworthy to be compared with his friend.

Etymology

By surface analysis, forbid + -ing.

This word in other languages

abstoßend(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • fforbidding
  • fobridding
  • forbbidding
  • forbdiding
  • forbiddign
  • forbiddingg
  • forbiddinng
  • forbiddnig
  • forbididng
  • forbiding
  • foribdding
  • forrbidding
  • frobidding
  • ofrbidding

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of forbidding - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

fforbidding1fobridding2forbbidding1forbdiding2forbiddign2forbiddingg1forbiddinng1forbiddnig2
Edit distance from "forbidding"

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 "forbidding"?
"forbidding" is spelled F-O-R-B-I-D-D-I-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is /fɚˈbɪdɪŋ/.
What does "forbidding" mean?
As an adjective, "forbidding" means: Appearing to be threatening, unfriendly or potentially unpleasant.
What words are commonly confused with "forbidding"?
"forbidding" is commonly confused with "forbidden". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "forbidding"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "forbidding" is /fɚˈbɪdɪŋ/. 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 "forbidding"?
By surface analysis, forbid + -ing. 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 "forbidding", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

gratifying#26,446dissipated#26,401Darlington#26,390Huntsville#26,467

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

fraternal14 variantsdrugstore14 variantsdexterity14 variantsIslington14 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list