fore-

/fɔː/

//fɔː// prefix

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

"fore" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“fore-” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a prefix - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
5
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Before with respect to time; earlier.

Key facts for fore-
PropertyValue
Headwordfore-
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechPrefix
IPA/fɔː/
Letters5
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “fore-” sits in English frequency

fore- falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for fore- is 5 letters long, classified as a prefix, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /fɔː/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 18 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Zero misspellings are on record for fore- in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English fore-, from Old English fore-, from Proto-West Germanic *forē-, from Proto-Germanic *fura-, *furai- (“before, in front of, for”), from Proto-Indo-European *per- (“before, formerly; through, throughout”). Akin to Old Saxon and Old High Ge… The correct English form is fore-, spelled F-O-R-E--.

Definition

  1. 1
    Before with respect to time; earlier.
  2. 2
    Before with respect to time; earlier.
  3. 3
    Before with respect to time; earlier.
  4. 4
    Before with respect to position: front, ahead, leading, anterior.
  5. 5
    Before with respect to position: front, ahead, leading, anterior.
  6. 6
    Before with respect to position: front, ahead, leading, anterior.
  7. 7
    Before with respect to position: front, ahead, leading, anterior.
  8. 8
    Before with respect to position: front, ahead, leading, anterior.
  9. 9
    Before with respect to position: front, ahead, leading, anterior.
  10. 10
    Before with respect to position: front, ahead, leading, anterior.
  11. 11
    Forward in direction.
  12. 12
    Forward in direction.
  13. 13
    Forward in direction.
  14. 14
    Before with respect to order or rank: first, prior, superior, ahead.
  15. 15
    Before with respect to order or rank: first, prior, superior, ahead.
  16. 16
    Before with respect to order or rank: first, prior, superior, ahead.
  17. 17
    Before with respect to order or rank: first, prior, superior, ahead.
  18. 18
    Before with respect to order or rank: first, prior, superior, ahead.

Etymology

From Middle English fore-, from Old English fore-, from Proto-West Germanic *forē-, from Proto-Germanic *fura-, *furai- (“before, in front of, for”), from Proto-Indo-European *per- (“before, formerly; through, throughout”). Akin to Old Saxon and Old High German fora-, Gothic 𐍆𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌰- (faura-) (see 𐍆𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌰 (faura)), Dutch voor- (“fore-”).

Synonyms

pre-ante-pre-ante-

Antonyms

post-after-post-

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 "fore-"?
"fore-" is spelled F-O-R-E--. The IPA pronunciation is /fɔː/.
What does "fore-" mean?
As a prefix, "fore-" means: Before with respect to time; earlier.
How do you pronounce "fore-"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "fore-" is /fɔː/. 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 "fore-"?
From Middle English fore-, from Old English fore-, from Proto-West Germanic *forē-, from Proto-Germanic *fura-, *furai- (“before, in front of, for”), from Proto-Indo-European *per- (“before, formerly; through, throughout”). Akin to Old Saxon and O... 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 “fore-”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is F-O-R-E-- - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /fɔː/ (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
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