forefinger

/ˈfɔːˌfɪŋ.ɡə/

//ˈfɔːˌfɪŋ.ɡə// noun

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

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

The verdict

“forefinger” is uncommon English (frequency #60,814 among 2,507 “F” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#60,814
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The index finger: the first finger next to the thumb.

Corpus desk

Index EN-forefinger · forefinger · English

forefinger · rank #60,814 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #60,814
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH fracas

Nearest frequency peer: fracas (+2 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 “forefinger”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for forefinger
PropertyValue
Headwordforefinger
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈfɔːˌfɪŋ.ɡə/
Letters10
Frequency rank#60,814
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “forefinger” in English

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).forefingerfalls 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: “fracas” (#60,816), “flotsam” (#60,811), “frist” (#60,817). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “forefinger” is #60,814. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

forefinger is uncommon English at frequency #60,814 among 2,507 “F” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈfɔːˌfɪŋ.ɡə/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "The index finger: the first finger next to the thumb.".

No generated misspelling entries exist for forefinger in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: Mid-15th century, from Middle English forefyngure; equivalent to fore- + finger. The correct English form is forefinger, spelled F-O-R-E-F-I-N-G-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    The index finger: the first finger next to the thumb.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. He touched me on the arm with his forefinger twice or thrice giving a ghastly nod each time:- […]

Etymology

Mid-15th century, from Middle English forefyngure; equivalent to fore- + finger.

Synonyms

index finger

This word in other languages

índice(Español)index(Français)Zeigefinger(Deutsch)indicador(Português)

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 "forefinger"?
"forefinger" is spelled F-O-R-E-F-I-N-G-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfɔːˌfɪŋ.ɡə/.
What does "forefinger" mean?
As a noun, "forefinger" means: The index finger: the first finger next to the thumb.
How do you pronounce "forefinger"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "forefinger" is /ˈfɔːˌfɪŋ.ɡə/. 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 "forefinger"?
Mid-15th century, from Middle English forefyngure; equivalent to fore- + finger. 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 "forefinger", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

flagrantly#60,810Fitzgibbon#60,809grindstone#60,838eigenvalue#60,786

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list