forlorn

/fəˈlɔːn/

//fəˈlɔːn// adj

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

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

The verdict

“forlorn” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #35,723. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#35,723
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords
11
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Abandoned, deserted, left behind.

Corpus desk

Index EN-forlorn · forlorn · English

forlorn · rank #35,723 · 11 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #35,723
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 11 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH Foucault

Nearest frequency peer: Foucault (+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 “forlorn”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “forlorn” 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 forlorn
PropertyValue
Headwordforlorn
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/fəˈlɔːn/
Letters7
Frequency rank#35,723
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “forlorn”

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).forlornlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “Foucault” (#35,724), “foal” (#35,721), “fragmentary” (#35,725). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “forlorn” is #35,723. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around forlorn (IPA /fəˈlɔːn/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #35,723 among 2,507 “F” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for forlorn, with forms such as "fforlorn", "folrorn", and "forllorn". 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. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English forlorn, forloren, from Old English forloren (past participle of forlēosan (“to lose”)), from Proto-Germanic *fraluzanaz (“lost”), past participle of Proto-Germanic *fraleusaną (“to lose”), equivalent to for- + lorn. Cognate with West Fr… The correct English form is forlorn, spelled F-O-R-L-O-R-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Abandoned, deserted, left behind.
  2. 2
    Pitifully sad, wretched, miserable; lonely, especially from feeling abandoned, deserted, forsaken.
  3. 3
    Unlikely to succeed; hopeless.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. For miſerie doth braueſt mindes abate, / And make them ſeeke for that they wont to ſcorne, / Of fortune and of hope at once forlorne.
  2. Some ſay that Rauens foſter forlorne children, / The vvhilſt their ovvne birds famiſh in their neſts: / Oh be to me though thy hard hart ſay no, / Nothing ſo kinde but ſomething pittifull.

Etymology

From Middle English forlorn, forloren, from Old English forloren (past participle of forlēosan (“to lose”)), from Proto-Germanic *fraluzanaz (“lost”), past participle of Proto-Germanic *fraleusaną (“to lose”), equivalent to for- + lorn. Cognate with West Frisian ferlern (“lost”), Saterland Frisian ferlädden (“lost”), Dutch verloren (“lost”), German Low German verloren (“lost”), German verloren (“lost”), Swedish förlorad (“lost”). See further at lese/leese, lorn.

This word in other languages

abandonado(Español)abandonné(Français)verlassen(Deutsch)desamparado(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • fforlorn
  • folrorn
  • forllorn
  • forlonr
  • forlornn
  • forlorrn
  • forlron
  • forolrn
  • forrlorn
  • frolorn
  • ofrlorn

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of forlorn - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

fforlorn1folrorn2forllorn1forlonr2forlornn1forlorrn1forlron2forolrn2
Edit distance from "forlorn"

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 "forlorn"?
"forlorn" is spelled F-O-R-L-O-R-N. The IPA pronunciation is /fəˈlɔːn/.
What does "forlorn" mean?
As an adjective, "forlorn" means: Abandoned, deserted, left behind.
What are common misspellings of "forlorn"?
Common misspellings include "fforlorn", "folrorn", "forllorn", "forlonr", "forlornn". The correct spelling is "forlorn".
How do you pronounce "forlorn"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "forlorn" is /fəˈlɔːn/. 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 "forlorn"?
From Middle English forlorn, forloren, from Old English forloren (past participle of forlēosan (“to lose”)), from Proto-Germanic *fraluzanaz (“lost”), past participle of Proto-Germanic *fraleusaną (“to lose”), equivalent to for- + lorn. Cognate wi... 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 "forlorn", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

fiddler#35,719Gambino#35,729epitaph#35,709enslave#35,708

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (11 here; floor ≥5).

Foucault11 variantsflagging11 variantseastside11 variantsdrifter11 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list