forget

/fəˈɡɛt/

//fəˈɡɛt// verb

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

"forget" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“forget” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #924 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#924
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To lose remembrance of.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

forget vs fort
67% similar
forget vs fret
67% similar
forget vs forte
67% similar

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

Key facts for forget
PropertyValue
Headwordforget
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/fəˈɡɛt/
Letters6
Frequency rank#924
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “forget” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for forget is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /fəˈɡɛt/. Corpus data places it at rank #924 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for forget, with forms such as "fforget", "fogret", and "foregt". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "fort", "fret", "forte", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English forgeten, forgiten, foryeten, forȝiten, from Old English forġietan (“to forget”) [influenced by Old Norse geta ("to get, to guess")], from Proto-West Germanic *fragetan (“to give up, forget”). Equivalent to for- + get. Cognate with : * S… The correct English form is forget, spelled F-O-R-G-E-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    To lose remembrance of.
  2. 2
    To unintentionally not do, neglect.
  3. 3
    To unintentionally leave something behind.
  4. 4
    To cease remembering.
  5. 5
    To not realize something (regardless of whether one has ever known it).
  6. 6
    Euphemism for fuck, screw (a mild oath).

Etymology

From Middle English forgeten, forgiten, foryeten, forȝiten, from Old English forġietan (“to forget”) [influenced by Old Norse geta ("to get, to guess")], from Proto-West Germanic *fragetan (“to give up, forget”). Equivalent to for- + get. Cognate with : * Scots forget, forȝet (“to forget”), * West Frisian fergette, ferjitte, forjitte (“to forget”), * Dutch vergeten (“to forget”), * German vergessen (“to forget”).

Synonyms

obliviateoverlookpass overdisrememberforget

Antonyms

acquirelearnmindrecallrecollectrememberreminisce

This word in other languages

olvidar(Español)oublier(Français)verlernen(Deutsch)esquecer(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: fforget,fogret,foregt,forgett,forgget,forgte,forrget,froget,ofrget

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

fforget1fogret2foregt2forgett1forgget1forgte2forrget1froget2
Edit distance from "forget"

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 "forget"?
"forget" is spelled F-O-R-G-E-T. The IPA pronunciation is /fəˈɡɛt/.
What does "forget" mean?
As a verb, "forget" means: To lose remembrance of.
What words are commonly confused with "forget"?
"forget" is commonly confused with "fort", "fret", "forte". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "forget"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "forget" is /fəˈɡɛt/. 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 "forget"?
From Middle English forgeten, forgiten, foryeten, forȝiten, from Old English forġietan (“to forget”) [influenced by Old Norse geta ("to get, to guess")], from Proto-West Germanic *fragetan (“to give up, forget”). Equivalent to for- + get. Cognate ... 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 “forget”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is F-O-R-G-E-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /fəˈɡɛt/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “fort” - see the side-by-side comparison. forget vs fort
  • 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