futon

/ˈfuːtɒn/

//ˈfuːtɒn// noun

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

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

The verdict

“futon” has 7 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #49,345. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#49,345
frequency rank, English
2,507
“F” headwords
7
tracked misspellings
7
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A thin mattress of tufted cotton or similar material, placed on a floor or on a raised, foldable frame as a bed.

Corpus desk

Index EN-futon · futon · English

futon · rank #49,345 · 7 variants · 7 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #49,345
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 7 pairs
  • VAR-MID 7 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,507
  • PHOTO-FINISH furtherance

Nearest frequency peer: furtherance (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “futon”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “futon” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

futon vs fun
60% similar
futon vs fut
60% similar
futon vs felon
60% similar

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

Key facts for futon
PropertyValue
Headwordfuton
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈfuːtɒn/
Letters5
Frequency rank#49,345
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs7
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “futon”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).futonlands here:

#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. Same rarity band neighbours include “furtherance” (#49,344), “Gabor” (#49,346), “Gabriele” (#49,347). Among 2,507 “F” headwords, “futon” is #49,345. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 7 spelling variants around futon (IPA /ˈfuːtɒn/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #49,345 among 2,507 “F” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for futon, with forms such as "ffuton", "ftuon", and "fuotn". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 7 confusable-pair relationships, "fun", "fut", "felon", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Japanese 布団 (futon), in turn from Middle Chinese 蒲團 (MC bu dwan, “meditation cushion”) (compare Mandarin 蒲团 (pútuán)), from 蒲 (bu, “bulrush, cattail”) + 團 (dwan, “sphere, round object”) from the way the original cushion was round and made from… The correct English form is futon, spelled F-U-T-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A thin mattress of tufted cotton or similar material, placed on a floor or on a raised, foldable frame as a bed.
  2. 2
    A round cushion used for Zen meditation, traditionally made of woven bulrush leaves.
  3. 3
    A specific kind of sofa-bed, with a fixed cushion that forms a mattress when folded down and a sofa when folded up.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The Japanese bed is the floor, with a wooden box under the neck for a pillow and a futon for a covering. To the foreigner the Japanese landlord allows five or six futons, or cotton-wadded comforters, and they make a tolerable mattress, although not springy, and rather apt to be damp and musty.
  2. The futon are easily aired, and may be carried about readily when moving.

Etymology

Borrowed from Japanese 布団 (futon), in turn from Middle Chinese 蒲團 (MC bu dwan, “meditation cushion”) (compare Mandarin 蒲团 (pútuán)), from 蒲 (bu, “bulrush, cattail”) + 團 (dwan, “sphere, round object”) from the way the original cushion was round and made from woven bulrushes.

This word in other languages

futon(Français)Futon(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ffuton
  • ftuon
  • fuotn
  • futno
  • futonn
  • futton
  • ufton

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ffuton1ftuon2fuotn2futno2futonn1futton1ufton2
Edit distance from "futon"

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 "futon"?
"futon" is spelled F-U-T-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈfuːtɒn/.
What does "futon" mean?
As a noun, "futon" means: A thin mattress of tufted cotton or similar material, placed on a floor or on a raised, foldable frame as a bed.
What words are commonly confused with "futon"?
"futon" is commonly confused with "fun", "fut", "felon". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "futon"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "futon" is /ˈfuːtɒn/. 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 "futon"?
Borrowed from Japanese 布団 (futon), in turn from Middle Chinese 蒲團 (MC bu dwan, “meditation cushion”) (compare Mandarin 蒲团 (pútuán)), from 蒲 (bu, “bulrush, cattail”) + 團 (dwan, “sphere, round object”) from the way the original cushion was round and... 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 "futon", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

Gabor#49,346Flagg#49,336Gerda#49,355hasta#49,380

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (7 here; floor ≥5).

Geffen7 variantsgrasse7 variantshammam7 variantsHayat7 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list