foreigner

/ˈfɒɹ.ɪ.nə(ɹ)/

//ˈfɒɹ.ɪ.nə(ɹ)// noun

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

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

The verdict

“foreigner” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #15,409. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#15,409
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords
13
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A person from a foreign country.

Corpus desk

Index EN-foreigner · foreigner · English

foreigner · rank #15,409 · 13 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #15,409
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH fir

Nearest frequency peer: fir (-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 “foreigner”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “foreigner” 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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

foreigner vs foreigners
90% similar
foreigner vs foreign
78% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for foreigner
PropertyValue
Headwordforeigner
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈfɒɹ.ɪ.nə(ɹ)/
Letters9
Frequency rank#15,409
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “foreigner”

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).foreignerlands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “fir” (#15,408), “formulation” (#15,410), “fascination” (#15,407). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “foreigner” is #15,409. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around foreigner (IPA /ˈfɒɹ.ɪ.nə(ɹ)/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #15,409 among 2,507 “F” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for foreigner, with forms such as "fforeigner", "foerigner", and "foreginer". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "foreigners", "foreign", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English forner, foreyner, foroner, forenere, augmentation of earlier forein (“foreigner”), from the adjective. Equivalent to foreign + -er. Use of the -er suffix may be due to analogy with Middle English straunger (“stranger”). Displaced native … The correct English form is foreigner, spelled F-O-R-E-I-G-N-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A person from a foreign country.
  2. 2
    A private job run by an employee at a trade factory rather than going through the business.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. By the existing law of Great Britain all foreigners have the unrestricted right of entrance and residence in this country; and while they remain in it are, equally with British subjects, under the protection of the law; nor can they be punished except for an offence against the law, and under the sentence of the ordinary tribunals of justice, after a publ…
  2. For a student of American history and a foreigner like myself, it is easier to understand all these extremisms of conscience.

Etymology

From Middle English forner, foreyner, foroner, forenere, augmentation of earlier forein (“foreigner”), from the adjective. Equivalent to foreign + -er. Use of the -er suffix may be due to analogy with Middle English straunger (“stranger”). Displaced native Old English elþēodiġ.

Synonyms

alienmetœcusoutlanderoutsiderstrangerbarbarianfirangiforeignforeignerfremdfremdlingfurrinergaijinnonlocalnoninhabitantnonnationalnonresidentnon-residentoutcomelingoutenerParadesiperegrinestrangelinguitlander

Antonyms

aborigineautochthoncitizencompatriotcountrymancountrywomannativenonforeigner

This word in other languages

extranjero(Español)étranger(Français)Ausländer(Deutsch)estrangeiro(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • fforeigner
  • foerigner
  • foreginer
  • foreigenr
  • foreiggner
  • foreignerr
  • foreignner
  • foreignre
  • foreinger
  • foriegner
  • forreigner
  • froeigner
  • ofreigner

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of foreigner - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

fforeigner1foerigner2foreginer2foreigenr2foreiggner1foreignerr1foreignner1foreignre2
Edit distance from "foreigner"

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 "foreigner"?
"foreigner" is spelled F-O-R-E-I-G-N-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfɒɹ.ɪ.nə(ɹ)/.
What does "foreigner" mean?
As a noun, "foreigner" means: A person from a foreign country.
What words are commonly confused with "foreigner"?
"foreigner" is commonly confused with "foreigners", "foreign". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "foreigner"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "foreigner" is /ˈfɒɹ.ɪ.nə(ɹ)/. 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 "foreigner"?
From Middle English forner, foreyner, foroner, forenere, augmentation of earlier forein (“foreigner”), from the adjective. Equivalent to foreign + -er. Use of the -er suffix may be due to analogy with Middle English straunger (“stranger”). Displac... 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 "foreigner", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

expressly#15,403corrosion#15,378paralysis#15,465patiently#15,466

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

Clarkson13 variantsNormandy13 variantspilgrims13 variantsavalanche13 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list