forespeak

/fɔːˈspiːk/

//fɔːˈspiːk// verb

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

The verdict

“forespeak” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a verb - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To foretell, to predict.

Key facts for forespeak
PropertyValue
Headwordforespeak
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/fɔːˈspiːk/
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “forespeak” sits in English frequency

forespeak falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for forespeak is 9 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /fɔːˈspiːk/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "To foretell, to predict.".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for forespeak, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From fore- (prefix meaning ‘earlier, occurring beforehand, prior to’) + speak. The correct English form is forespeak, spelled F-O-R-E-S-P-E-A-K.

Definition

  1. 1
    To foretell, to predict.

Etymology

From fore- (prefix meaning ‘earlier, occurring beforehand, prior to’) + speak.

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 "forespeak"?
"forespeak" is spelled F-O-R-E-S-P-E-A-K. The IPA pronunciation is /fɔːˈspiːk/.
What does "forespeak" mean?
As a verb, "forespeak" means: To foretell, to predict.
How do you pronounce "forespeak"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "forespeak" is /fɔːˈspiːk/. 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 "forespeak"?
From fore- (prefix meaning ‘earlier, occurring beforehand, prior to’) + speak. 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.

Using “forespeak”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is F-O-R-E-S-P-E-A-K - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /fɔːˈspiːk/ (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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list