forfeit

/ˈfɔː.fɪt/

//ˈfɔː.fɪt// noun

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

"forfeit" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“forfeit” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #19,089. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#19,089
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A penalty for or consequence of a misdemeanor.

Corpus desk

Index EN-forfeit · forfeit · English

forfeit · rank #19,089 · 10 variants · 3 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #19,089
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 3 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH forging

Nearest frequency peer: forging (+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 “forfeit”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “forfeit” 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

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

forfeit vs forget
71% similar
forfeit vs Forrest
57% similar
forfeit vs forest
71% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for forfeit
PropertyValue
Headwordforfeit
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈfɔː.fɪt/
Letters7
Frequency rank#19,089
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “forfeit”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).forfeitlands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “forging” (#19,090), “fleeting” (#19,087), “foundry” (#19,091). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “forfeit” is #19,089. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around forfeit (IPA /ˈfɔː.fɪt/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #19,089 among 2,507 “F” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for forfeit, with forms such as "fforfeit", "fofreit", and "forefit". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 3 confusable-pair relationships, "forget", "Forrest", "forest", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English forfait from ca. 1300, from Old French forfait (“crime”), originally the past participle of forfaire (“to transgress”), and Medieval Latin foris factum. During the 15th century, the sense shifted from the crime to the penalty for the crime. The correct English form is forfeit, spelled F-O-R-F-E-I-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A penalty for or consequence of a misdemeanor.
  2. 2
    A thing forfeited; that which is taken from somebody in requital of a misdeed committed; that which is lost, or the right to which is alienated, by a crime, breach of contract, etc.
  3. 3
    Something deposited and redeemable by a sportive fine as part of a game.
  4. 4
    Injury; wrong; mischief.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. That he our deadly forfeit should release
  2. He who murders pays the forfeit of his own life.

Etymology

From Middle English forfait from ca. 1300, from Old French forfait (“crime”), originally the past participle of forfaire (“to transgress”), and Medieval Latin foris factum. During the 15th century, the sense shifted from the crime to the penalty for the crime.

This word in other languages

prenda(Español)gage(Français)Strafe(Deutsch)penalidade(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • fforfeit
  • fofreit
  • forefit
  • forfeitt
  • forfeti
  • forffeit
  • forfiet
  • forrfeit
  • frofeit
  • ofrfeit

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of forfeit - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

fforfeit1fofreit2forefit2forfeitt1forfeti2forffeit1forfiet2forrfeit1
Edit distance from "forfeit"

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 "forfeit"?
"forfeit" is spelled F-O-R-F-E-I-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfɔː.fɪt/.
What does "forfeit" mean?
As a noun, "forfeit" means: A penalty for or consequence of a misdemeanor.
What words are commonly confused with "forfeit"?
"forfeit" is commonly confused with "forget", "Forrest", "forest". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "forfeit"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "forfeit" is /ˈfɔː.fɪt/. 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 "forfeit"?
From Middle English forfait from ca. 1300, from Old French forfait (“crime”), originally the past participle of forfaire (“to transgress”), and Medieval Latin foris factum. During the 15th century, the sense shifted from the crime to the penalty f... 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 "forfeit", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

forging#19,090foundry#19,091favours#19,084giraffe#19,096

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

indexes10 variantscramps10 variantsBuzzFeed10 variantspharaoh10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list