forsay
/fə(ɹ)ˈseɪ/
"forsay" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“forsay” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a verb - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 6
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - to forbid; to renounce
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | forsay |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /fə(ɹ)ˈseɪ/ |
| Letters | 6 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “forsay” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for forsay is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /fə(ɹ)ˈseɪ/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for forsay, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English forsayen (“to renounce”), from Old English forseċġan (“to accuse, accuse falsely, slander, speak about, discourse on”), equivalent to for- + say. Cognate Dutch verzeggen (“to deny, forbid”), German Low German verseggen (“to refuse, deny”… The correct English form is forsay, spelled F-O-R-S-A-Y.
Definition
- 1to forbid; to renounce
- 2to deny, gainsay
- 3to forsake
Etymology
From Middle English forsayen (“to renounce”), from Old English forseċġan (“to accuse, accuse falsely, slander, speak about, discourse on”), equivalent to for- + say. Cognate Dutch verzeggen (“to deny, forbid”), German Low German verseggen (“to refuse, deny”), German versagen (“to refuse, deny”), Swedish försäga (“to misspeak, say too much”). More at for-, say.
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “forsay”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is F-O-R-S-A-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /fə(ɹ)ˈseɪ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- 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.