forestall

/fɔː(ɹ)ˈstɔːl/

//fɔː(ɹ)ˈstɔːl// verb

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

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

The verdict

“forestall” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #45,934. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#45,934
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords
12
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To prevent, delay or hinder something by taking precautionary or anticipatory measures; to avert.

Corpus desk

Index EN-forestall · forestall · English

forestall · rank #45,934 · 12 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #45,934
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH foldable

Nearest frequency peer: foldable (-2 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 “forestall”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “forestall” 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 forestall
PropertyValue
Headwordforestall
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/fɔː(ɹ)ˈstɔːl/
Letters9
Frequency rank#45,934
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “forestall”

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).forestalllands 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 “foldable” (#45,932), “Flatbush” (#45,931), “gatehouse” (#45,937). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “forestall” is #45,934. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around forestall (IPA /fɔː(ɹ)ˈstɔːl/), averb. Corpus frequency is #45,934 among 2,507 “F” headwords. Wiktionary lists 6 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for forestall, with forms such as "fforestall", "foerstall", and "foresatll". 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. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English forestallen (“to forestall, intercept, ambush, way-lay”), from forestalle (“a forestalling, interception”), from Old English foresteall (“intervention, hindrance of justice, ambush”), from fore- (“ahead of, before”) + steall (“position”)… The correct English form is forestall, spelled F-O-R-E-S-T-A-L-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    To prevent, delay or hinder something by taking precautionary or anticipatory measures; to avert.
  2. 2
    To preclude or bar from happening, render impossible.
  3. 3
    To purchase the complete supply of a good, particularly foodstuffs, in order to charge a monopoly price.
  4. 4
    To anticipate, to act foreseeingly.
  5. 5
    To deprive (with of).
  6. 6
    To obstruct or stop up, as a road; to stop the passage of a highway; to intercept on the road, as goods on the way to market.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Fred forestalled disaster by his prompt action.
  2. The Act of 1846 also authorised a branch from the village of Broughty Ferry on the D. & A. to the pier at Broughty Ferry Castle. This action was taken to forestall the Edinburgh & Northern Railway, which had acquired the ferry between Ferryport-on-Craig (Tayport from July, 1851) and Broughty Ferry, and had hopes of a connecting railway on the north side o…

Etymology

From Middle English forestallen (“to forestall, intercept, ambush, way-lay”), from forestalle (“a forestalling, interception”), from Old English foresteall (“intervention, hindrance of justice, ambush”), from fore- (“ahead of, before”) + steall (“position”), equivalent to fore- + stall.

This word in other languages

prevenir(Español)empêcher(Français)verhindern(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • fforestall
  • foerstall
  • foresatll
  • foresstall
  • forestal
  • forestlal
  • foresttall
  • foretsall
  • forrestall
  • forsetall
  • froestall
  • ofrestall

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

fforestall1foerstall2foresatll2foresstall1forestal1forestlal2foresttall1foretsall2
Edit distance from "forestall"

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 "forestall"?
"forestall" is spelled F-O-R-E-S-T-A-L-L. The IPA pronunciation is /fɔː(ɹ)ˈstɔːl/.
What does "forestall" mean?
As a verb, "forestall" means: To prevent, delay or hinder something by taking precautionary or anticipatory measures; to avert.
What are common misspellings of "forestall"?
Common misspellings include "fforestall", "foerstall", "foresatll", "foresstall", "forestal". The correct spelling is "forestall".
How do you pronounce "forestall"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "forestall" is /fɔː(ɹ)ˈstɔːl/. 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 "forestall"?
From Middle English forestallen (“to forestall, intercept, ambush, way-lay”), from forestalle (“a forestalling, interception”), from Old English foresteall (“intervention, hindrance of justice, ambush”), from fore- (“ahead of, before”) + steall (“... 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 "forestall", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

gatehouse#45,937goldeneye#45,947extrinsic#45,916Esperanto#45,912

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

finality12 variantsfeigning12 variantsEdgerton12 variantshighgate12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list