foreclose

/fɔːˈkləʊz/

//fɔːˈkləʊz// verb

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

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

The verdict

“foreclose” is uncommon English (frequency #52,324 among 2,507 “F” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#52,324
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To repossess a mortgaged property whose owner has failed to make the necessary payments; used with on.

Corpus desk

Index EN-foreclose · foreclose · English

foreclose · rank #52,324 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #52,324
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH forecourt

Nearest frequency peer: forecourt (+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.

Long-tail ranks near “foreclose”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “foreclose” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for foreclose
PropertyValue
Headwordforeclose
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/fɔːˈkləʊz/
Letters9
Frequency rank#52,324
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “foreclose” in English

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).foreclosefalls in this rarity band:

#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. Rare peers in the same band: “forecourt” (#52,325), “footloose” (#52,322), “forewarned” (#52,326). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “foreclose” is #52,324. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

foreclose is uncommon English at frequency #52,324 among 2,507 “F” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /fɔːˈkləʊz/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

foreclose doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: Partially from Middle English foreclosen, forclosen, from Old French forclos, past participle of forclore (“to exclude”), from for- (“(prefix used to express error, exclusion, or inadequacy)”) + clore (“to shut”), and partially from Middle English forclusen… The correct English form is foreclose, spelled F-O-R-E-C-L-O-S-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To repossess a mortgaged property whose owner has failed to make the necessary payments; used with on.
  2. 2
    To cut off (a mortgager) by a judgment of court from the power of redeeming the mortgaged premises.
  3. 3
    To shut up or out; to prevent from doing something.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. They have to move out of their house because the bank foreclosed on their mortgage.
  2. The embargo with Spain foreclosed this trade.

Etymology

Partially from Middle English foreclosen, forclosen, from Old French forclos, past participle of forclore (“to exclude”), from for- (“(prefix used to express error, exclusion, or inadequacy)”) + clore (“to shut”), and partially from Middle English forclusen (“to close up”), from Old English forclȳsan (“to close up”), equivalent to fore- + close.

This word in other languages

embargar(Español)saisir(Français)verhindern(Deutsch)

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 "foreclose"?
"foreclose" is spelled F-O-R-E-C-L-O-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is /fɔːˈkləʊz/.
What does "foreclose" mean?
As a verb, "foreclose" means: To repossess a mortgaged property whose owner has failed to make the necessary payments; used with on.
How do you pronounce "foreclose"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "foreclose" is /fɔːˈkləʊz/. 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 "foreclose"?
Partially from Middle English foreclosen, forclosen, from Old French forclos, past participle of forclore (“to exclude”), from for- (“(prefix used to express error, exclusion, or inadequacy)”) + clore (“to shut”), and partially from Middle English... 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 "foreclose", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

forecourt#52,325footloose#52,322foundered#52,328frankness#52,331

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list