# founder

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈfaʊn.dɚ/ · frequency rank #3,233

## Definitions
1. One who founds or establishes (a company, project, organisation, state, etc.).
2. A common ancestor of some population (especially one with a certain genetic mutation).

## Etymology
From Old French fondeur, from Latin fundātor, equivalent to found + -er.

## Easily confused with
- **funded** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/founder-vs-funded)
- **foundry** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/founder-vs-foundry)
- **Fourier** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/founder-vs-fourier)
- **found** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/found-vs-founder)
- **folder** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/folder-vs-founder)
- **fender** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fender-vs-founder)
- **fodder** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fodder-vs-founder)
- **finder** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/finder-vs-founder)
- **founded** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/founded-vs-founder)
- **flounder** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/flounder-vs-founder)

## Common misspellings (10)
`ffounder`, `fonuder`, `foudner`, `foundder`, `founderr`, `foundre`, `founedr`, `founnder`, `fuonder`, `ofunder`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/founder