foster

/ˈfɒs.tə/

//ˈfɒs.tə// adj

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

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

The verdict

“foster” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #4,085 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#4,085
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Providing parental care to children not related to oneself.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

foster vs foyer
67% similar
foster vs fowler
67% similar
foster vs frosted
71% similar

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

Key facts for foster
PropertyValue
Headwordfoster
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈfɒs.tə/
Letters6
Frequency rank#4,085
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “foster” 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). foster 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 foster is 6 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈfɒs.tə/. Corpus data places it at rank #4,085 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 3 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 foster, with forms such as "ffoster", "fosetr", and "fosster". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "foyer", "fowler", "frosted", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English foster, from Old English fōstor (“food, sustenance”), from Proto-West Germanic *fōstr, from Proto-Germanic *fōstrą (“nourishment, food”). Cognate with Middle Dutch voester (“nursemaid”), Middle Low German vôster (“food”), Old Norse fóstr… The correct English form is foster, spelled F-O-S-T-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Providing parental care to children not related to oneself.
  2. 2
    Receiving such care.
  3. 3
    Related by such care.

Etymology

From Middle English foster, from Old English fōstor (“food, sustenance”), from Proto-West Germanic *fōstr, from Proto-Germanic *fōstrą (“nourishment, food”). Cognate with Middle Dutch voester (“nursemaid”), Middle Low German vôster (“food”), Old Norse fóstr (“nurturing, education, alimony, child support”), Danish foster (“fetus”), Swedish foster (“fetus”).

This word in other languages

adoptivo(Español)adoptant(Français)Pflege-(Deutsch)adotivo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ffoster,fosetr,fosster,fosterr,fostre,fostter,fotser,fsoter,ofster

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of foster - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

ffoster1fosetr2fosster1fosterr1fostre2fostter1fotser2fsoter2
Edit distance from "foster"

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 "foster"?
"foster" is spelled F-O-S-T-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfɒs.tə/.
What does "foster" mean?
As an adjective, "foster" means: Providing parental care to children not related to oneself.
What words are commonly confused with "foster"?
"foster" is commonly confused with "foyer", "fowler", "frosted". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "foster"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "foster" is /ˈfɒs.tə/. 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 "foster"?
From Middle English foster, from Old English fōstor (“food, sustenance”), from Proto-West Germanic *fōstr, from Proto-Germanic *fōstrą (“nourishment, food”). Cognate with Middle Dutch voester (“nursemaid”), Middle Low German vôster (“food”), Old N... 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 “foster”

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

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