fountain

/ˈfaʊn.tɪn/

//ˈfaʊn.tɪn// noun

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

"fountain" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“fountain” has 11 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #8,146. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#8,146
frequency rank, English
18,613
“F” headwords
11
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A natural source of water; a spring.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

fountain vs Fontaine
63% similar

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

Key facts for fountain
PropertyValue
Headwordfountain
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈfaʊn.tɪn/
Letters8
Frequency rank#8,146
Misspellings tracked11
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “fountain” 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). fountain lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 11 spelling variants around fountain (IPA /ˈfaʊn.tɪn/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #8,146 among 18,613 “F” headwords. Wiktionary lists 11 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for fountain, with forms such as "ffountain", "fonutain", and "founatin". 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. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "Fontaine", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English [Term?]; from Old French fontaine (whence modern fontaine); from Late Latin fontana, from Latin fontanus, fontaneus, adjectives from fons (“source, spring”). The correct English form is fountain, spelled F-O-U-N-T-A-I-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A natural source of water; a spring.
  2. 2
    An artificial, usually ornamental, water feature (usually in a garden or public place) consisting of one or more streams of water originating from a statue or other structure.
  3. 3
    The structure from which an artificial fountain can issue.
  4. 4
    A reservoir from which liquid can be drawn.
  5. 5
    A source or origin of a flow (e.g., of favors or knowledge).
  6. 6
    A roundel barry wavy argent and azure.
  7. 7
    A juggling pattern typically done with an even number of props where each prop is caught by the same hand that throws it.
  8. 8
    A soda fountain.
  9. 9
    A drink poured from a soda fountain, or the cup it is poured into.
  10. 10
    A ground-based firework that projects sparks similar to a water fountain.
  11. 11
    Anything that resembles a fountain in operation.

Etymology

From Middle English [Term?]; from Old French fontaine (whence modern fontaine); from Late Latin fontana, from Latin fontanus, fontaneus, adjectives from fons (“source, spring”).

This word in other languages

fuente(Español)fontaine(Français)Springbrunnen(Deutsch)fonte(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ffountain
  • fonutain
  • founatin
  • founntain
  • fountainn
  • fountani
  • fountian
  • founttain
  • foutnain
  • fuontain
  • ofuntain

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of fountain - 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.

ffountain1fonutain2founatin2founntain1fountainn1fountani2fountian2founttain1
Edit distance from "fountain"

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 "fountain"?
"fountain" is spelled F-O-U-N-T-A-I-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfaʊn.tɪn/.
What does "fountain" mean?
As a noun, "fountain" means: A natural source of water; a spring.
What words are commonly confused with "fountain"?
"fountain" is commonly confused with "Fontaine". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "fountain"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "fountain" is /ˈfaʊn.tɪn/. 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 "fountain"?
From Middle English [Term?]; from Old French fontaine (whence modern fontaine); from Late Latin fontana, from Latin fontanus, fontaneus, adjectives from fons (“source, spring”). 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 “fountain”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is F-O-U-N-T-A-I-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈfaʊn.tɪn/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Fontaine” - see the side-by-side comparison. fountain vs Fontaine
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

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