# foreword

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈfɔːwɜːd/ · frequency rank #24,453

## Definitions
1. An introductory section preceding the main text of a book or other document; especially, one written by another person (not the author of the work thus introduced).

## Etymology
Morphologically fore- + word. Calque of German Vorwort, itself a calque of Latin praefatio (“preface”). Cognate with German Low German Vörwoord (“foreword”), Dutch voorwoord (“foreword”), West Frisian foarwurd (“foreword”), Danish forord (“preface; proviso”), Swedish förord (“foreword”). Compare also Old English forword, foreword (“proviso; condition”).

## Easily confused with
- **forward** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/foreword-vs-forward)
- **firewood** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/firewood-vs-foreword)
- **firework** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/firework-vs-foreword)
- **foretold** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/foretold-vs-foreword)

## Common misspellings (12)
`fforeword`, `foerword`, `foreowrd`, `forewodr`, `forewordd`, `foreworrd`, `forewrod`, `forewword`, `forreword`, `forweord`, `froeword`, `ofreword`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/foreword