fornication

/ˌfɔɹnɪˈkeɪʃən/

//ˌfɔɹnɪˈkeɪʃən// noun

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

"fornication" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“fornication” has 17 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #41,131. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#41,131
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords
17
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Sexual intercourse by people who are not married to each other, or which is considered illicit in another way.

Corpus desk

Index EN-fornication · fornication · English

fornication · rank #41,131 · 17 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #41,131
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 17 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH folic

Nearest frequency peer: folic (-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 “fornication”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “fornication” 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 fornication
PropertyValue
Headwordfornication
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˌfɔɹnɪˈkeɪʃən/
Letters11
Frequency rank#41,131
Misspellings tracked17
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “fornication”

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “folic” (#41,130), “frailty” (#41,133), “Freiburg” (#41,134). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “fornication” is #41,131. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 17 spelling variants around fornication (IPA /ˌfɔɹnɪˈkeɪʃən/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #41,131 among 2,507 “F” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 17 likely wrong-spelling variants for fornication, with forms such as "ffornication", "fonrication", and "forincation". 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. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English fornicacioun, from Old French fornicacion, from Latin fornicātiō, from fornix (“brothel”). The correct English form is fornication, spelled F-O-R-N-I-C-A-T-I-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Sexual intercourse by people who are not married to each other, or which is considered illicit in another way.
  2. 2
    Sexual intercourse in general; sex.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. FRIAR BARNARDINE. Thou hast committed— BARABAS. Fornication: but that was in another country; And besides, the wench is dead.
  2. I am the sister of one Claudio, Condemned upon the act of fornication To lose his head, condemned by Angelo

Etymology

From Middle English fornicacioun, from Old French fornicacion, from Latin fornicātiō, from fornix (“brothel”).

Synonyms

copulation

This word in other languages

fornicación(Español)fornication(Français)Unzucht(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ffornication
  • fonrication
  • forincation
  • fornciation
  • forniaction
  • fornicaiton
  • fornicasion
  • fornicatino
  • fornicationn
  • fornicatoin
  • fornicattion
  • forniccation
  • fornictaion
  • fornnication
  • forrnication
  • fronication
  • ofrnication

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ffornication1fonrication2forincation2fornciation2forniaction2fornicaiton2fornicasion1fornicatino2
Edit distance from "fornication"

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 "fornication"?
"fornication" is spelled F-O-R-N-I-C-A-T-I-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌfɔɹnɪˈkeɪʃən/.
What does "fornication" mean?
As a noun, "fornication" means: Sexual intercourse by people who are not married to each other, or which is considered illicit in another way.
What are common misspellings of "fornication"?
Common misspellings include "ffornication", "fonrication", "forincation", "fornciation", "forniaction". The correct spelling is "fornication".
How do you pronounce "fornication"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "fornication" is /ˌfɔɹnɪˈkeɪʃən/. 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 "fornication"?
From Middle English fornicacioun, from Old French fornicacion, from Latin fornicātiō, from fornix (“brothel”). 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 "fornication", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

epinephrine#41,110compressing#41,058lithography#41,229anaesthesia#40,995

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (17 here; floor ≥5).

promiscuity17 variantstrepidation17 variantstrailblazer17 variantsreestablish17 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list