foreign language
/fɔːɹɪn lɛŋɡwɪd͡ʒ/
"foreign-language" is a 15-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“foreign language” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a noun - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 16
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A language that is not widely or officially spoken in a particular place.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | foreign language |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /fɔːɹɪn lɛŋɡwɪd͡ʒ/ |
| Letters | 16 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “foreign language” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for foreign language is 16 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /fɔːɹɪn lɛŋɡwɪd͡ʒ/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
No misspelling variants are generated for foreign language in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.
This entry carries no recorded etymology, so any spelling logic here comes from how the word's sounds map to letters, not a documented origin story. The correct English form is foreign language, spelled F-O-R-E-I-G-N- -L-A-N-G-U-A-G-E.
Definition
- 1A language that is not widely or officially spoken in a particular place.
- 2A language that is not one's native tongue.
This word in other languages
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 "foreign language"?
What does "foreign language" mean?
How do you pronounce "foreign language"?
What language does "foreign language" come from?
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Using “foreign language”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is F-O-R-E-I-G-N- -L-A-N-G-U-A-G-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /fɔːɹɪn lɛŋɡwɪd͡ʒ/ (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.