fount

/faʊnt/

//faʊnt// noun

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

"fount" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“fount” is uncommon English (frequency #68,228 among 2,507 “F” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#68,228
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Synonym of fountain (“a natural source of water”); a spring.

Corpus desk

Index EN-fount · fount · English

fount · rank #68,228 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #68,228
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH fountainhead

Nearest frequency peer: fountainhead (+1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “fount”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “fount” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for fount
PropertyValue
Headwordfount
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/faʊnt/
Letters5
Frequency rank#68,228
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “fount” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).fountfalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “fountainhead” (#68,229), “foll” (#68,225), “Fok” (#68,224). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “fount” is #68,228. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

fount is uncommon English at frequency #68,228 among 2,507 “F” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /faʊnt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for fount, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: Clipping of fountain, on the pattern of the pair mount, mountain. The correct English form is fount, spelled F-O-U-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Synonym of fountain (“a natural source of water”); a spring.
  2. 2
    A device from which poultry may drink; a waterer.
  3. 3
    That from which something proceeds; an origin, a source.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how fount appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. VVhy ſhould the vvorme intrude the maiden bud? / Or hatefull Kuckcovves [cuckoos] hatch in Sparrovvs neſts? / Or Todes infect faire founts vvith venome mud? / […] / But no perfection is ſo abſolute, / That ſome impuritie doth not pollute.
  2. [T]his top-proud fellovv, / […] / From ſincere motions, by Intelligence, / And proofes as cleere as Founts in Iuly, vvhen / VVee ſee each graine of grauell; I doe knovv / To be corrupt and treaſonous.

Etymology

Clipping of fountain, on the pattern of the pair mount, mountain.

This word in other languages

fuente(Español)font(Français)fonte(Português)

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 "fount"?
"fount" is spelled F-O-U-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /faʊnt/.
What does "fount" mean?
As a noun, "fount" means: Synonym of fountain (“a natural source of water”); a spring.
How do you pronounce "fount"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "fount" is /faʊnt/. 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 "fount"?
Clipping of fountain, on the pattern of the pair mount, mountain. 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "fount", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

finna#68,218Fujii#68,238finis#68,217fawad#68,211

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list