forgive

/fə(ɹ)ˈɡɪv/

//fə(ɹ)ˈɡɪv// verb

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

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

The verdict

“forgive” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #4,672 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#4,672
frequency rank, English
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To pardon (someone); to waive any negative feeling towards or desire for punishment or retribution against.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

forgive vs forgiven
88% similar
forgive vs forge
71% similar
forgive vs Fergie
57% similar

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

Key facts for forgive
PropertyValue
Headwordforgive
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/fə(ɹ)ˈɡɪv/
Letters7
Frequency rank#4,672
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “forgive” 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). forgive 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 forgive is 7 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /fə(ɹ)ˈɡɪv/. Corpus data places it at rank #4,672 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for forgive, with forms such as "fforgive", "fogrive", and "forggive". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 5 confusable-pair relationships, "forgiven", "forge", "Fergie", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Alteration (due to give) of Middle English foryiven, forȝiven, from Old English forġiefan (“to forgive, to give”), from Proto-West Germanic *frageban, from Proto-Germanic *fragebaną (“to give away; give up; release; forgive”), equivalent to for- + give (ety… The correct English form is forgive, spelled F-O-R-G-I-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To pardon (someone); to waive any negative feeling towards or desire for punishment or retribution against.
  2. 2
    To pardon (something); to waive any negative feeling over or retribution for.
  3. 3
    To waive or remit (a debt), to absolve from payment or compensation of.
  4. 4
    To accord forgiveness.
  5. 5
    To look past; to look beyond.
  6. 6
    To redeem; to offset the bad effects of something.

Etymology

Alteration (due to give) of Middle English foryiven, forȝiven, from Old English forġiefan (“to forgive, to give”), from Proto-West Germanic *frageban, from Proto-Germanic *fragebaną (“to give away; give up; release; forgive”), equivalent to for- + give (etymologically for- + yive). Cognate with Scots forgeve, forgif, forgie (“to forgive”), West Frisian ferjaan (“to forgive”), Dutch vergeven (“to forgive”), German vergeben (“to forgive”), Icelandic fyrirgefa (“to forgive”), Yiddish פֿאַרגעבן (fargebn, “to forgive”)

This word in other languages

perdonar(Español)pardonner(Français)verzeihen(Deutsch)perdoar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: fforgive,fogrive,forggive,forgiev,forgivve,forgvie,forigve,forrgive,frogive,ofrgive

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

fforgive1fogrive2forggive1forgiev2forgivve1forgvie2forigve2forrgive1
Edit distance from "forgive"

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 "forgive"?
"forgive" is spelled F-O-R-G-I-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /fə(ɹ)ˈɡɪv/.
What does "forgive" mean?
As a verb, "forgive" means: To pardon (someone); to waive any negative feeling towards or desire for punishment or retribution against.
What words are commonly confused with "forgive"?
"forgive" is commonly confused with "forgiven", "forge", "Fergie". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "forgive"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "forgive" is /fə(ɹ)ˈɡɪv/. 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 "forgive"?
Alteration (due to give) of Middle English foryiven, forȝiven, from Old English forġiefan (“to forgive, to give”), from Proto-West Germanic *frageban, from Proto-Germanic *fragebaną (“to give away; give up; release; forgive”), equivalent to for- +... 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 “forgive”

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

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