frequent

/ˈfɹiː.kwənt/

//ˈfɹiː.kwənt// adj

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

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

The verdict

“frequent” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #4,528. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#4,528
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Done or occurring often; common.

Corpus desk

Index EN-frequent · frequent · English

frequent · rank #4,528 · 12 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #4,528
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH fits

Nearest frequency peer: fits (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “frequent”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “frequent” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

frequent vs frequently
80% similar
frequent vs frequency
78% similar

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

Key facts for frequent
PropertyValue
Headwordfrequent
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈfɹiː.kwənt/
Letters8
Frequency rank#4,528
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “frequent”

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).frequentlands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “fits” (#4,527), “gardens” (#4,529), “firing” (#4,526). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “frequent” is #4,528. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around frequent (IPA /ˈfɹiː.kwənt/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #4,528 among 2,507 “F” headwords. Wiktionary lists 5 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for frequent, with forms such as "ferquent", "ffrequent", and "freqeunt". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "frequently", "frequency", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Old French frequent, from Latin frequens (“crowded, crammed, frequent, repeated, etc.”), possibly from a Proto-Indo-European *bʰrekʷ- (“to cram together”). The correct English form is frequent, spelled F-R-E-Q-U-E-N-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Done or occurring often; common.
  2. 2
    Occurring at short intervals.
  3. 3
    Addicted to any course of conduct; inclined to indulge in any practice; habitual; persistent.
  4. 4
    Full; crowded; thronged.
  5. 5
    Often or commonly reported.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. I take frequent breaks so I don't get too tired.
  2. There are frequent trains to the beach available.

Etymology

From Old French frequent, from Latin frequens (“crowded, crammed, frequent, repeated, etc.”), possibly from a Proto-Indo-European *bʰrekʷ- (“to cram together”).

Synonyms

regularrecurringcontinualsteady

Antonyms

rareuncommon

This word in other languages

frecuente(Español)fréquent(Français)häufig(Deutsch)freqüente(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ferquent
  • ffrequent
  • freqeunt
  • freqquent
  • frequennt
  • frequentt
  • frequetn
  • frequnet
  • freuqent
  • frqeuent
  • frrequent
  • rfequent

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of frequent - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

ferquent2ffrequent1freqeunt2freqquent1frequennt1frequentt1frequetn2frequnet2
Edit distance from "frequent"

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 "frequent"?
"frequent" is spelled F-R-E-Q-U-E-N-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfɹiː.kwənt/.
What does "frequent" mean?
As an adjective, "frequent" means: Done or occurring often; common.
What words are commonly confused with "frequent"?
"frequent" is commonly confused with "frequently", "frequency". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "frequent"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "frequent" is /ˈfɹiː.kwənt/. 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 "frequent"?
From Old French frequent, from Latin frequens (“crowded, crammed, frequent, repeated, etc.”), possibly from a Proto-Indo-European *bʰrekʷ- (“to cram together”). 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 "frequent", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

gathered#4,530executed#4,525earnings#4,522counting#4,518

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

hilarious12 variantscomposed12 variantstreating12 variantswherever12 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list