furlough

/ˈfɜː.ləʊ/

//ˈfɜː.ləʊ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“furlough” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #39,330. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#39,330
frequency rank, English
18,613
“F” headwords
12
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A leave of absence or vacation.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

furlough vs furlong
75% similar

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

Key facts for furlough
PropertyValue
Headwordfurlough
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈfɜː.ləʊ/
Letters8
Frequency rank#39,330
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “furlough” 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). furlough lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around furlough (IPA /ˈfɜː.ləʊ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #39,330 among 18,613 “F” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for furlough, with forms such as "ffurlough", "frulough", and "fulrough". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "furlong", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Dutch verlof (“furlough”), probably from Middle Low German verlōf (“furlough, permission”) (possibly via German Verlaub), from the verb verlōven (“to allow”), from Old Saxon far- + lōvian (“to trust, believe”). From Middle Low German also German Verlau… The correct English form is furlough, spelled F-U-R-L-O-U-G-H.

Definition

  1. 1
    A leave of absence or vacation.
  2. 2
    A leave of absence or vacation.
  3. 3
    The documents authorizing such leave.
  4. 4
    A period of unpaid time off, used by an employer to reduce costs.

Etymology

From Dutch verlof (“furlough”), probably from Middle Low German verlōf (“furlough, permission”) (possibly via German Verlaub), from the verb verlōven (“to allow”), from Old Saxon far- + lōvian (“to trust, believe”). From Middle Low German also German Verlaub, Danish forlov. Doublet of leave.

This word in other languages

permiso(Español)congé(Français)Urlaub(Deutsch)licença(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ffurlough
  • frulough
  • fulrough
  • furllough
  • furloguh
  • furlouggh
  • furloughh
  • furlouhg
  • furluogh
  • furolugh
  • furrlough
  • ufrlough

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of furlough - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

ffurlough1frulough2fulrough2furllough1furloguh2furlouggh1furloughh1furlouhg2
Edit distance from "furlough"

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 "furlough"?
"furlough" is spelled F-U-R-L-O-U-G-H. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfɜː.ləʊ/.
What does "furlough" mean?
As a noun, "furlough" means: A leave of absence or vacation.
What words are commonly confused with "furlough"?
"furlough" is commonly confused with "furlong". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "furlough"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "furlough" is /ˈfɜː.ləʊ/. 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 "furlough"?
From Dutch verlof (“furlough”), probably from Middle Low German verlōf (“furlough, permission”) (possibly via German Verlaub), from the verb verlōven (“to allow”), from Old Saxon far- + lōvian (“to trust, believe”). From Middle Low German also Ger... 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 “furlough”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is F-U-R-L-O-U-G-H - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈfɜː.ləʊ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “furlong” - see the side-by-side comparison. furlough vs furlong
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Same frequency band

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