forespeak

/fɔːˈspiːk/

//fɔːˈspiːk// verb

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

The verdict

“forespeak” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To foretell, to predict.

Corpus desk

Index EN-forespeak · forespeak · English

forespeak · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "F" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

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

Long-tail rank of “forespeak” in English

forespeakranks outside the top 100,000 English headwords, in the long tail of specialist, archaic, or seldom-used vocabulary, exactly the territory where a reader stops mid-sentence to double-check spelling.

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

Rare enough to double-check

forespeak is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as averb, transcribed /fɔːˈspiːk/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "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.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Rejoice sister, for the same word that forespaketh trouble, doth certify us of the glory consequent.
  2. chriſt foreſpeaketh his owne Death mat[thew] 16, 21

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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list