frontline

adj

"frontline" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“frontline” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #18,316 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#18,316
frequency rank, English
9
letters
14
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Located at a front.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

frontline vs fronting
78% similar
frontline vs Fontaine
67% similar

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

Key facts for frontline
PropertyValue
Headwordfrontline
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
Letters9
Frequency rank#18,316
Misspellings tracked14
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “frontline” 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). frontline 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 frontline is 9 letters long, classified as an adjective. Corpus data places it at rank #18,316 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 14 likely wrong-spelling variants for frontline, with forms such as "ffrontline", "forntline", and "frnotline". 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, "fronting", "Fontaine", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From front + line. The correct English form is frontline, spelled F-R-O-N-T-L-I-N-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Located at a front.
  2. 2
    Most advanced or important.

Etymology

From front + line.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ffrontline,forntline,frnotline,fronltine,fronntline,frontilne,frontlien,frontlinne,frontlline,frontlnie,fronttline,frotnline,frrontline,rfontline

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ffrontline1forntline2frnotline2fronltine2fronntline1frontilne2frontlien2frontlinne1
Edit distance from "frontline"

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 "frontline"?
"frontline" is spelled F-R-O-N-T-L-I-N-E.
What does "frontline" mean?
As an adjective, "frontline" means: Located at a front.
What words are commonly confused with "frontline"?
"frontline" is commonly confused with "fronting", "Fontaine". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
What is the origin of the word "frontline"?
From front + line. 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 “frontline”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is F-R-O-N-T-L-I-N-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Don't mix it up with “fronting” - see the side-by-side comparison. frontline vs fronting
  • 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