furor

/ˈfjʊəɹɔː/

//ˈfjʊəɹɔː// noun

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

The verdict

“furor” is uncommon English (frequency #51,717 among 2,507 “F” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#51,717
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A general uproar or commotion.

Corpus desk

Index EN-furor · furor · English

furor · rank #51,717 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #51,717
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH galling

Nearest frequency peer: galling (+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.

Long-tail ranks near “furor”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “furor” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for furor
PropertyValue
Headwordfuror
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈfjʊəɹɔː/
Letters5
Frequency rank#51,717
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “furor” in English

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).furorfalls in this rarity band:

#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. Rare peers in the same band: “galling” (#51,718), “frugality” (#51,714), “gaslighting” (#51,721). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “furor” is #51,717. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

furor is uncommon English at frequency #51,717 among 2,507 “F” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈfjʊəɹɔː/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

Zero misspellings are on record for furor in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, suggesting its spelling stands apart enough that readers rarely confuse it with something else.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English furour, from Middle French fureur, from Old French furor, from Latin furor, from furō (“To rage, to be out of one's mind”). The correct English form is furor, spelled F-U-R-O-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A general uproar or commotion.
  2. 2
    Violent anger or frenzy.
  3. 3
    A state of intense excitement.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. This action created a furor in the broader medical community. It was considered undoctorly, unprofessional, illegal, and an infringement on the right to practice.
  2. The verdict of not guilty created a true furor in the courtroom.

Etymology

From Middle English furour, from Middle French fureur, from Old French furor, from Latin furor, from furō (“To rage, to be out of one's mind”).

This word in other languages

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 "furor"?
"furor" is spelled F-U-R-O-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfjʊəɹɔː/.
What does "furor" mean?
As a noun, "furor" means: A general uproar or commotion.
How do you pronounce "furor"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "furor" is /ˈfjʊəɹɔː/. 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 "furor"?
From Middle English furour, from Middle French fureur, from Old French furor, from Latin furor, from furō (“To rage, to be out of one's mind”). 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 "furor", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list