furrow

/ˈfʌɹoʊ/

//ˈfʌɹoʊ// noun

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

"furrow" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“furrow” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #48,758. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#48,758
frequency rank, English
18,613
“F” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Any trench, channel, or groove; often found on wood or metal.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

furrow vs furry
67% similar
furrow vs farrow
83% similar

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

Key facts for furrow
PropertyValue
Headwordfurrow
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈfʌɹoʊ/
Letters6
Frequency rank#48,758
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “furrow” 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). furrow 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 7 spelling variants around furrow (IPA /ˈfʌɹoʊ/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #48,758 among 18,613 “F” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for furrow, with forms such as "ffurrow", "frurow", and "furorw". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "furry", "farrow", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English furgh, forow, from Old English furh, from Proto-West Germanic *furh, from Proto-Germanic *furhs (compare Saterland Frisian Fuurge, Dutch voor, German Furche, Swedish fåra, Norwegian Bokmål fure), from Proto-Indo-European *perḱ- (“to dig”… The correct English form is furrow, spelled F-U-R-R-O-W.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any trench, channel, or groove; often found on wood or metal.
  2. 2
    Any trench, channel, or groove; often found on wood or metal.

Etymology

From Middle English furgh, forow, from Old English furh, from Proto-West Germanic *furh, from Proto-Germanic *furhs (compare Saterland Frisian Fuurge, Dutch voor, German Furche, Swedish fåra, Norwegian Bokmål fure), from Proto-Indo-European *perḱ- (“to dig”). Compare Welsh rhych (“furrow”), Latin porca (“ridge, balk”), Lithuanian prapar̃šas (“ditch”), Sanskrit पर्शान (párśāna, “chasm”).

This word in other languages

surco(Español)sillon(Français)Furche(Deutsch)sulco(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ffurrow
  • frurow
  • furorw
  • furow
  • furroww
  • furrwo
  • ufrrow

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ffurrow1frurow2furorw2furow1furroww1furrwo2ufrrow2
Edit distance from "furrow"

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 "furrow"?
"furrow" is spelled F-U-R-R-O-W. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfʌɹoʊ/.
What does "furrow" mean?
As a noun, "furrow" means: Any trench, channel, or groove; often found on wood or metal.
What words are commonly confused with "furrow"?
"furrow" is commonly confused with "furry", "farrow". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "furrow"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "furrow" is /ˈfʌɹoʊ/. 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 "furrow"?
From Middle English furgh, forow, from Old English furh, from Proto-West Germanic *furh, from Proto-Germanic *furhs (compare Saterland Frisian Fuurge, Dutch voor, German Furche, Swedish fåra, Norwegian Bokmål fure), from Proto-Indo-European *perḱ-... 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 “furrow”

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

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