frown

/fɹaʊn/

//fɹaʊn// noun

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

"frown" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“frown” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #20,641 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#20,641
frequency rank, English
5
letters
8
tracked misspellings
19
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A wrinkling of the forehead with the eyebrows brought together, typically indicating displeasure, severity, or concentration.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

frown vs froze
60% similar
frown vs frozen
67% similar
frown vs frowns
83% similar

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

Key facts for frown
PropertyValue
Headwordfrown
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/fɹaʊn/
Letters5
Frequency rank#20,641
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs19
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “frown” 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). frown 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 frown is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /fɹaʊn/. Corpus data places it at rank #20,641 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for frown, with forms such as "ffrown", "forwn", and "fronw". 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 19 confusable-pair relationships, "froze", "frozen", "frowns", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English frown, froun (“a threatening appearance; lowering of the clouds”), from frounen (“to frown”). See below. The correct English form is frown, spelled F-R-O-W-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A wrinkling of the forehead with the eyebrows brought together, typically indicating displeasure, severity, or concentration.
  2. 2
    A downturn of the corners of the mouth, typically expressing sadness.
  3. 3
    Any facial expression that indicates disapproval or displeasure.

Etymology

From Middle English frown, froun (“a threatening appearance; lowering of the clouds”), from frounen (“to frown”). See below.

This word in other languages

ceño(Español)froncement(Français)Flunsch(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ffrown,forwn,fronw,frownn,frowwn,frrown,frwon,rfown

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ffrown1forwn2fronw2frownn1frowwn1frrown1frwon2rfown2
Edit distance from "frown"

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 "frown"?
"frown" is spelled F-R-O-W-N. The IPA pronunciation is /fɹaʊn/.
What does "frown" mean?
As a noun, "frown" means: A wrinkling of the forehead with the eyebrows brought together, typically indicating displeasure, severity, or concentration.
What words are commonly confused with "frown"?
"frown" is commonly confused with "froze", "frozen", "frowns". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "frown"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "frown" is /fɹaʊn/. 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 "frown"?
From Middle English frown, froun (“a threatening appearance; lowering of the clouds”), from frounen (“to frown”). See below. 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 “frown”

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

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