fourteenth

/ˌfɔːˈtiːnθ/

//ˌfɔːˈtiːnθ// adj

"fourteenth" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“fourteenth” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #18,313 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#18,313
frequency rank, English
10
letters
15
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - The ordinal form of the number fourteen.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

fourteenth vs fourteen
80% similar

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

Key facts for fourteenth
PropertyValue
Headwordfourteenth
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˌfɔːˈtiːnθ/
Letters10
Frequency rank#18,313
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “fourteenth” 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). fourteenth 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 fourteenth is 10 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌfɔːˈtiːnθ/. Corpus data places it at rank #18,313 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "The ordinal form of the number fourteen.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 15 likely wrong-spelling variants for fourteenth, with forms such as "ffourteenth", "foruteenth", and "fouretenth". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "fourteen", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Inherited from Middle English fourtenthe, fourtethe, from Old English fēowertēoþa, equivalent to fourteen + -th. The correct English form is fourteenth, spelled F-O-U-R-T-E-E-N-T-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    The ordinal form of the number fourteen.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English fourtenthe, fourtethe, from Old English fēowertēoþa, equivalent to fourteen + -th.

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ffourteenth,foruteenth,fouretenth,fourrteenth,fourteenht,fourteennth,fourteenthh,fourteentth,fourteetnh,fourteneth,fourtenth,fourtteenth,foutreenth,fuorteenth,ofurteenth

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ffourteenth1foruteenth2fouretenth2fourrteenth1fourteenht2fourteennth1fourteenthh1fourteentth1
Edit distance from "fourteenth"

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 "fourteenth"?
"fourteenth" is spelled F-O-U-R-T-E-E-N-T-H. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌfɔːˈtiːnθ/.
What does "fourteenth" mean?
As an adjective, "fourteenth" means: The ordinal form of the number fourteen.
What words are commonly confused with "fourteenth"?
"fourteenth" is commonly confused with "fourteen". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "fourteenth"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "fourteenth" is /ˌfɔːˈtiːnθ/. 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 "fourteenth"?
Inherited from Middle English fourtenthe, fourtethe, from Old English fēowertēoþa, equivalent to fourteen + -th. 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 “fourteenth”

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

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