# ford

> English word · Noun · IPA /fɔːd/ · frequency rank #2,996

## Definitions
1. A location where a stream is shallow and the bottom has good footing, making it possible to cross from one side to the other with no bridge, by walking, riding, or driving through the water; a crossing.
2. A stream; a current.

## Etymology
Etymology tree
Proto-Indo-European *per-
Proto-Indo-European *-tus
Proto-Indo-European *pértus
Proto-Germanic *furduz
Proto-West Germanic *furdu
Old English ford
English ford
Inherited from Middle English fōrd, from Old English ford, from Proto-West Germanic *furdu, from Proto-Germanic *furduz, from Proto-Indo-European *pértus (“crossing”).
Doublet of firth, fjord, and fjard, all via Old Norse; and port, distantly via Latin. Cognate with Low German Föörd, Dutch voord, German Furt, Norwegian and Danish fjord. See also forth and Persian پل (pol, “bridge”).

## Easily confused with
- **fox** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ford-vs-fox)
- **fur** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ford-vs-fur)
- **fry** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ford-vs-fry)
- **fro** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ford-vs-fro)
- **fra** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ford-vs-fra)
- **foy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ford-vs-foy)
- **fou** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ford-vs-fou)
- **four** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ford-vs-four)
- **form** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ford-vs-form)
- **fund** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ford-vs-fund)
- **fort** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ford-vs-fort)
- **Fred** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ford-vs-fred)
- **foul** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ford-vs-foul)
- **fork** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ford-vs-fork)
- **fury** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ford-vs-fury)
- **fowl** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ford-vs-fowl)
- **foxy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ford-vs-foxy)
- **furs** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ford-vs-furs)
- **Foxx** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ford-vs-foxx)
- **FOSS** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/ford-vs-foss)

## Common misspellings (6)
`fford`, `fodr`, `fordd`, `forrd`, `frod`, `ofrd`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/ford