# frighten

> English word · Verb · IPA /ˈfɹaɪ.tən/ · frequency rank #26,092

## Definitions
1. To cause to feel fear; to scare; to cause to feel alarm or fright.
2. To become scared or alarmed.

## Etymology
From Middle English *frightenen, equivalent to fright + -en.

## Easily confused with
- **frightened** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/frighten-vs-frightened)
- **fright** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fright-vs-frighten)
- **fighter** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/fighter-vs-frighten)
- **frigate** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/frigate-vs-frighten)
- **freighter** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/freighter-vs-frighten)

## Common misspellings (13)
`ffrighten`, `firghten`, `frgihten`, `frigghten`, `frighetn`, `frighhten`, `frightenn`, `frightne`, `frightten`, `frigthen`, `frihgten`, `frrighten`, `rfighten`

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