forthcoming

Name: forthcoming, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/fɔːθˈkʌmɪŋ/

//fɔːθˈkʌmɪŋ// adj

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“forthcoming” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #10,368 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#10,368
frequency rank, English: 11
letters: 18
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Approaching or about to take place.

Key facts for forthcoming
Property	Value
Headword	forthcoming
Language	English
Part of speech	Adjective
IPA	/fɔːθˈkʌmɪŋ/
Letters	11
Frequency rank	#10,368
Misspellings tracked	18
Confusable pairs	0
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “forthcoming” 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). forthcoming lands here:

#10,368

#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 forthcoming is 11 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /fɔːθˈkʌmɪŋ/. Corpus data places it at rank #10,368 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 18 likely wrong-spelling variants for forthcoming, with forms such as "fforthcoming", "forhtcoming", and "forrthcoming". 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. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: The adjective is derived from forth (“forwards”) + coming (“approaching (adjective)”); or from Middle English forth commyng, *forthcominge, present participle of forth-comen (“to come forth; to appear, issue”), from Old English forþcuman (“to come forth, co… The correct English form is forthcoming, spelled F-O-R-T-H-C-O-M-I-N-G.

Definition

1
Approaching or about to take place.
2
Available when needed; in place, ready.
3
Willing to co-operate or provide information; candid, frank, responsive.

Etymology

The adjective is derived from forth (“forwards”) + coming (“approaching (adjective)”); or from Middle English forth commyng, *forthcominge, present participle of forth-comen (“to come forth; to appear, issue”), from Old English forþcuman (“to come forth, come forward”) (present participle *forþcumende), from forþ- (“forth; forward”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *per- (“before, in front; first”)) + cuman (“to come”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *gʷem- (“to step”)). Compare Dutch voortkomend (“coming forth, originating from (verb)”), German fortkommend (“getting away; progressing (verb)”). The noun is derived from forth (“forwards”) + coming (“arrival”).

This word in other languages

próximo(Español)prochain(Français)bevorstehend(Deutsch)próximo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: fforthcoming,forhtcoming,forrthcoming,fortchoming,forthccoming,forthcmoing,forthcoimng,forthcomign,forthcomingg,forthcominng,forthcomming,forthcomnig,forthhcoming,forthocming,fortthcoming,fotrhcoming,frothcoming,ofrthcoming

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of forthcoming - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

Edit distance from "forthcoming"

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 "forthcoming"?

"forthcoming" is spelled F-O-R-T-H-C-O-M-I-N-G. The IPA pronunciation is /fɔːθˈkʌmɪŋ/.

What does "forthcoming" mean?

As an adjective, "forthcoming" means: Approaching or about to take place.

What are common misspellings of "forthcoming"?

Common misspellings include "fforthcoming", "forhtcoming", "forrthcoming", "fortchoming", "forthccoming". The correct spelling is "forthcoming".

How do you pronounce "forthcoming"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "forthcoming" is /fɔːθˈkʌmɪŋ/. 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 "forthcoming"?

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 “forthcoming”

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

The one correct English spelling is F-O-R-T-H-C-O-M-I-N-G - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /fɔːθˈkʌmɪŋ/ (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.