foreshadowing

/(ˌ)fɔːˈʃædəʊɪŋ/

//(ˌ)fɔːˈʃædəʊɪŋ// noun

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

"foreshadowing" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“foreshadowing” has 20 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #38,845. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#38,845
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords
20
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Synonym of foreshadow (“a suggestion of something in advance”); specifically (usually uncountable, literature, narratology), a literary device whereby an author drops hints or symbolic representati...

Corpus desk

Index EN-foreshadowing · foreshadowing · English

foreshadowing · rank #38,845 · 20 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #38,845
  • LEN-MEGA 13 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 20 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH Formosa

Nearest frequency peer: Formosa (+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 “foreshadowing”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “foreshadowing” 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 foreshadowing
PropertyValue
Headwordforeshadowing
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/(ˌ)fɔːˈʃædəʊɪŋ/
Letters13
Frequency rank#38,845
Misspellings tracked20
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “foreshadowing”

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).foreshadowinglands 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 “Formosa” (#38,846), “foregone” (#38,843), “fortnightly” (#38,847). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “foreshadowing” is #38,845. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 20 spelling variants around foreshadowing (IPA /(ˌ)fɔːˈʃædəʊɪŋ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #38,845 among 2,507 “F” headwords. Dominant gloss: "Synonym of foreshadow (“a suggestion of something in advance”); specifically (usually uncountable, literature, narratology), a literary device whereby an author drops hints or symbolic representati...".

Our generated misspelling index lists 20 likely wrong-spelling variants for foreshadowing, with forms such as "fforeshadowing", "foershadowing", and "forehsadowing". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From foreshadow (verb) + -ing (suffix forming nouns denoting the act of doing something, an action, or the embodiment of an action; or forming present participles of verbs). The correct English form is foreshadowing, spelled F-O-R-E-S-H-A-D-O-W-I-N-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    Synonym of foreshadow (“a suggestion of something in advance”); specifically (usually uncountable, literature, narratology), a literary device whereby an author drops hints or symbolic representations of plot developments to come later in the story.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The roses blooming before Rose herself bloomed was excellent foreshadowing.
  2. As an experienced editor I disapprove of backflashes, foreshadowings and tricksy devices […]

Etymology

From foreshadow (verb) + -ing (suffix forming nouns denoting the act of doing something, an action, or the embodiment of an action; or forming present participles of verbs).

This word in other languages

agüero(Español)augure(Français)Vorahnung(Deutsch)augúrio(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • fforeshadowing
  • foershadowing
  • forehsadowing
  • foresahdowing
  • foreshaddowing
  • foreshadoiwng
  • foreshadowign
  • foreshadowingg
  • foreshadowinng
  • foreshadownig
  • foreshadowwing
  • foreshadwoing
  • foreshaodwing
  • foreshdaowing
  • foreshhadowing
  • foresshadowing
  • forreshadowing
  • forsehadowing
  • froeshadowing
  • ofreshadowing

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

fforeshadowing1foershadowing2forehsadowing2foresahdowing2foreshaddowing1foreshadoiwng2foreshadowign2foreshadowingg1
Edit distance from "foreshadowing"

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 "foreshadowing"?
"foreshadowing" is spelled F-O-R-E-S-H-A-D-O-W-I-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is /(ˌ)fɔːˈʃædəʊɪŋ/.
What does "foreshadowing" mean?
As a noun, "foreshadowing" means: Synonym of foreshadow (“a suggestion of something in advance”); specifically (usually uncountable, literature, narratology), a literary device whereby an author drops hints or symbolic representati...
What are common misspellings of "foreshadowing"?
Common misspellings include "fforeshadowing", "foershadowing", "forehsadowing", "foresahdowing", "foreshaddowing". The correct spelling is "foreshadowing".
How do you pronounce "foreshadowing"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "foreshadowing" is /(ˌ)fɔːˈʃædəʊɪŋ/. 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 "foreshadowing"?
From foreshadow (verb) + -ing (suffix forming nouns denoting the act of doing something, an action, or the embodiment of an action; or forming present participles of verbs). 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 "foreshadowing", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 13 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

energetically#38,825endocrinology#38,824distinctively#38,809heterogeneity#38,884

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (20 here; floor ≥5).

desegregation20 variantshysterectomy20 variantsinsufficiently20 variantssupercomputer20 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list