former

/ˈfɔɹmɚ/

//ˈfɔɹmɚ// adj

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

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

The verdict

“former” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #528 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#528
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Previous.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

former vs forms
67% similar
former vs forte
67% similar
former vs foyer
67% similar

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

Key facts for former
PropertyValue
Headwordformer
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈfɔɹmɚ/
Letters6
Frequency rank#528
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “former” 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). former 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 former is 6 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈfɔɹmɚ/. Corpus data places it at rank #528 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 2 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 former, with forms such as "fformer", "fomrer", and "foremr". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "forms", "forte", "foyer", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Inherited from Middle English former, comparative of forme (“first”), from Old English forma (“first”), descended from Proto-Germanic *frumô. Parallel to prior (via Latin), as comparative form from same Proto-Indo-European root. Related to first and fore (t… The correct English form is former, spelled F-O-R-M-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Previous.
  2. 2
    First of aforementioned two items. Used with the, often without a noun.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English former, comparative of forme (“first”), from Old English forma (“first”), descended from Proto-Germanic *frumô. Parallel to prior (via Latin), as comparative form from same Proto-Indo-European root. Related to first and fore (thence before), from Proto-Germanic.

Synonyms

antecedentanteriorearliererstwhileexforegoneformerhithertooldoldenpastprecedingprecedentpreviouspriorquondamsometimeused-to-bewhilom

Antonyms

currentsubsequent

This word in other languages

anterior(Español)précédent(Français)ehemalig(Deutsch)anterior(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: fformer,fomrer,foremr,formerr,formmer,formre,forrmer,fromer,ofrmer

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

fformer1fomrer2foremr2formerr1formmer1formre2forrmer1fromer2
Edit distance from "former"

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 "former"?
"former" is spelled F-O-R-M-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfɔɹmɚ/.
What does "former" mean?
As an adjective, "former" means: Previous.
What words are commonly confused with "former"?
"former" is commonly confused with "forms", "forte", "foyer". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "former"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "former" is /ˈfɔɹmɚ/. 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 "former"?
Inherited from Middle English former, comparative of forme (“first”), from Old English forma (“first”), descended from Proto-Germanic *frumô. Parallel to prior (via Latin), as comparative form from same Proto-Indo-European root. Related to first a... 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 “former”

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

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