forgetfulness

/fəˈɡɛtfʊlnɪs/

//fəˈɡɛtfʊlnɪs// noun

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

"forgetfulness" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“forgetfulness” has 19 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #48,243. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#48,243
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords
19
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - The quality of being forgetful; proneness to let slip from the mind.

Corpus desk

Index EN-forgetfulness · forgetfulness · English

forgetfulness · rank #48,243 · 19 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #48,243
  • LEN-MEGA 13 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 19 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH foetal

Nearest frequency peer: foetal (-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 “forgetfulness”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “forgetfulness” 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 forgetfulness
PropertyValue
Headwordforgetfulness
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/fəˈɡɛtfʊlnɪs/
Letters13
Frequency rank#48,243
Misspellings tracked19
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “forgetfulness”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).forgetfulnesslands 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 “foetal” (#48,242), “fou” (#48,244), “flowchart” (#48,241). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “forgetfulness” is #48,243. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 19 spelling variants around forgetfulness (IPA /fəˈɡɛtfʊlnɪs/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #48,243 among 2,507 “F” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 19 likely wrong-spelling variants for forgetfulness, with forms such as "fforgetfulness", "fogretfulness", and "foregtfulness". 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. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English forgetfulnes, forgetfulnesse, forȝetfulnesse, equivalent to forgetful + -ness. The correct English form is forgetfulness, spelled F-O-R-G-E-T-F-U-L-N-E-S-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    The quality of being forgetful; proneness to let slip from the mind.
  2. 2
    Loss of remembrance or recollection; a ceasing to remember; oblivion.
  3. 3
    Failure to bear in mind; careless omission; inattention.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. forgetfulness of duty

Etymology

From Middle English forgetfulnes, forgetfulnesse, forȝetfulnesse, equivalent to forgetful + -ness.

This word in other languages

desmemoria(Español)étourderie(Français)Vergesslichkeit(Deutsch)esquecimento(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • fforgetfulness
  • fogretfulness
  • foregtfulness
  • forgeftulness
  • forgetffulness
  • forgetfluness
  • forgetfulenss
  • forgetfullness
  • forgetfulnes
  • forgetfulnness
  • forgetfulnses
  • forgetfunless
  • forgettfulness
  • forgetuflness
  • forggetfulness
  • forgtefulness
  • forrgetfulness
  • frogetfulness
  • ofrgetfulness

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

fforgetfulness1fogretfulness2foregtfulness2forgeftulness2forgetffulness1forgetfluness2forgetfulenss2forgetfullness1
Edit distance from "forgetfulness"

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 "forgetfulness"?
"forgetfulness" is spelled F-O-R-G-E-T-F-U-L-N-E-S-S. The IPA pronunciation is /fəˈɡɛtfʊlnɪs/.
What does "forgetfulness" mean?
As a noun, "forgetfulness" means: The quality of being forgetful; proneness to let slip from the mind.
What are common misspellings of "forgetfulness"?
Common misspellings include "fforgetfulness", "fogretfulness", "foregtfulness", "forgeftulness", "forgetffulness". The correct spelling is "forgetfulness".
How do you pronounce "forgetfulness"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "forgetfulness" is /fəˈɡɛtfʊlnɪs/. 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 "forgetfulness"?
From Middle English forgetfulnes, forgetfulnesse, forȝetfulnesse, equivalent to forgetful + -ness. 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 "forgetfulness", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 13 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

electrocution#48,216sanctimonious#48,467unpretentious#47,991unexplainable#47,986

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (19 here; floor ≥5).

interminable19 variantsmicrofinance19 variantsstormtrooper19 variantsmaltreatment19 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list