foreground

/ˈfɔː(ɹ)ˌɡɹaʊnd/

//ˈfɔː(ɹ)ˌɡɹaʊnd// noun

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

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

The verdict

“foreground” has 15 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #20,640. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#20,640
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords
15
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The elements of an image which lie closest to the picture plane.

Corpus desk

Index EN-foreground · foreground · English

foreground · rank #20,640 · 15 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #20,640
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 15 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH forcefully

Nearest frequency peer: forcefully (-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 “foreground”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “foreground” 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
Key facts for foreground
PropertyValue
Headwordforeground
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈfɔː(ɹ)ˌɡɹaʊnd/
Letters10
Frequency rank#20,640
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “foreground”

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).foregroundlands 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 “forcefully” (#20,639), “frown” (#20,641), “fruity” (#20,642). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “foreground” is #20,640. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 15 spelling variants around foreground (IPA /ˈfɔː(ɹ)ˌɡɹaʊnd/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #20,640 among 2,507 “F” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for foreground, with forms such as "fforeground", "foerground", and "foregground". 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 is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From fore- + ground. Compare Dutch voorgrond (“foreground”), German Vordergrund (“foreground”), Danish forgrund (“foreground”), Swedish förgrund (“foreground”), Norwegian forgrunn (“foreground”), Icelandic forgrunni (“foreground”). The correct English form is foreground, spelled F-O-R-E-G-R-O-U-N-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    The elements of an image which lie closest to the picture plane.
  2. 2
    The subject of an image, often depicted at the bottom in a two-dimensional work.
  3. 3
    The application the user is currently interacting with; the application window that appears in front of all others.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. Note the presence in the foreground of the fronds of ailanthus, often called “ghetto palm,” now ubiquitous in Baltimore but apparently already common in the 1930s.

Etymology

From fore- + ground. Compare Dutch voorgrond (“foreground”), German Vordergrund (“foreground”), Danish forgrund (“foreground”), Swedish förgrund (“foreground”), Norwegian forgrunn (“foreground”), Icelandic forgrunni (“foreground”).

This word in other languages

premier plan(Français)Vordergrund(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • fforeground
  • foerground
  • foregground
  • foregorund
  • foregronud
  • foregroudn
  • foregroundd
  • foregrounnd
  • foregrround
  • foregruond
  • forergound
  • forgeround
  • forreground
  • froeground
  • ofreground

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of foreground - 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.

fforeground1foerground2foregground1foregorund2foregronud2foregroudn2foregroundd1foregrounnd1
Edit distance from "foreground"

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 "foreground"?
"foreground" is spelled F-O-R-E-G-R-O-U-N-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfɔː(ɹ)ˌɡɹaʊnd/.
What does "foreground" mean?
As a noun, "foreground" means: The elements of an image which lie closest to the picture plane.
What are common misspellings of "foreground"?
Common misspellings include "fforeground", "foerground", "foregground", "foregorund", "foregronud". The correct spelling is "foreground".
How do you pronounce "foreground"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "foreground" is /ˈfɔː(ɹ)ˌɡɹaʊnd/. 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 "foreground"?
From fore- + ground. Compare Dutch voorgrond (“foreground”), German Vordergrund (“foreground”), Danish forgrund (“foreground”), Swedish förgrund (“foreground”), Norwegian forgrunn (“foreground”), Icelandic forgrunni (“foreground”). 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 "foreground", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

forcefully#20,639infidelity#20,672dehydrated#20,605complicate#20,593

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (15 here; floor ≥5).

cleanliness15 variantsordinarily15 variantsantiquities15 variantspenetrated15 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list