forgetful

/fərˈɡɛtfəl/

//fərˈɡɛtfəl// adj

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

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

The verdict

“forgetful” has 14 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #34,064. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#34,064
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords
14
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Unable to remember things well; liable to forget.

Corpus desk

Index EN-forgetful · forgetful · English

forgetful · rank #34,064 · 14 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #34,064
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 14 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH footballing

Nearest frequency peer: footballing (-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 “forgetful”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “forgetful” 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).

forgetful vs forceful
78% similar

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

Key facts for forgetful
PropertyValue
Headwordforgetful
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/fərˈɡɛtfəl/
Letters9
Frequency rank#34,064
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “forgetful”

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

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “footballing” (#34,063), “forgettable” (#34,065), “foolproof” (#34,062). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “forgetful” is #34,064. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 14 spelling variants around forgetful (IPA /fərˈɡɛtfəl/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #34,064 among 2,507 “F” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for forgetful, with forms such as "fforgetful", "fogretful", and "foregtful". 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 1 confusable-pair relationship, "forceful", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English *forgetful, *forȝetful (suggested by derivative forgetfulnesse, forȝetfulnesse (“forgetfulness”)), equivalent to forget + -ful. The correct English form is forgetful, spelled F-O-R-G-E-T-F-U-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Unable to remember things well; liable to forget.
  2. 2
    Dropping some of the input's structure or properties before producing an output.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Nor has Dalua part or mention in the antique legend. Like other ancient things, this divinity hath come secretly upon us in a forgetful time, new and strange and terrible, though his unremembered shadow crossed our way when first we set out on our long travel, in the youth of the world.
  2. a forgetful mapping; a forgetful functor

Etymology

From Middle English *forgetful, *forȝetful (suggested by derivative forgetfulnesse, forȝetfulnesse (“forgetfulness”)), equivalent to forget + -ful.

This word in other languages

olvidadizo(Español)oublieux(Français)vergesslich(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • fforgetful
  • fogretful
  • foregtful
  • forgeftul
  • forgetfful
  • forgetflu
  • forgetfull
  • forgettful
  • forgetufl
  • forggetful
  • forgteful
  • forrgetful
  • frogetful
  • ofrgetful

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of forgetful - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

fforgetful1fogretful2foregtful2forgeftul2forgetfful1forgetflu2forgetfull1forgettful1
Edit distance from "forgetful"

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 "forgetful"?
"forgetful" is spelled F-O-R-G-E-T-F-U-L. The IPA pronunciation is /fərˈɡɛtfəl/.
What does "forgetful" mean?
As an adjective, "forgetful" means: Unable to remember things well; liable to forget.
What words are commonly confused with "forgetful"?
"forgetful" is commonly confused with "forceful". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "forgetful"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "forgetful" is /fərˈɡɛtfəl/. 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 "forgetful"?
From Middle English *forgetful, *forȝetful (suggested by derivative forgetfulnesse, forȝetfulnesse (“forgetfulness”)), equivalent to forget + -ful. 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 "forgetful", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

foolproof#34,062gallantry#34,071firehouse#34,056governess#34,084

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (14 here; floor ≥5).

guesthouse14 variantsearnestly14 variantsharvester14 variantsheartburn14 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list