forswear
/fə(ɹ)ˈswɛə(ɹ)/
"forswear" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“forswear” 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
- 8
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To renounce or deny something, especially under oath.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | forswear |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /fə(ɹ)ˈswɛə(ɹ)/ |
| Letters | 8 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “forswear” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for forswear is 8 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /fə(ɹ)ˈswɛə(ɹ)/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
Zero misspellings are on record for forswear in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English forsweren, from Old English forswerian (“to swear falsely”). Cognate with Old Saxon farswerian, Old High German farsweren, German verschwören. More at for- + swear. The correct English form is forswear, spelled F-O-R-S-W-E-A-R.
Definition
- 1To renounce or deny something, especially under oath.
- 2To commit perjury; to break an oath.
Etymology
From Middle English forsweren, from Old English forswerian (“to swear falsely”). Cognate with Old Saxon farswerian, Old High German farsweren, German verschwören. More at for- + swear.
This word in other languages
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 “forswear”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is F-O-R-S-W-E-A-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /fə(ɹ)ˈswɛə(ɹ)/ (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.