heaven forfend
/ˌhɛvn̩ fɔːˈfɛnd/
"heaven-forfend" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“heaven forfend” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as an interjection. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 14
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Used to express that one hopes that something does not happen
Corpus desk
Index EN-heaven-forfend · heaven forfend · English
heaven forfend · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-MEGA 14 letters
- VOW-5 5 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "H" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
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.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | heaven forfend |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Interjection |
| IPA | /ˌhɛvn̩ fɔːˈfɛnd/ |
| Letters | 14 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Long-tail rank of “heaven forfend” in English
Rare enough to double-check
heaven forfend is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as aninterjection, transcribed /ˌhɛvn̩ fɔːˈfɛnd/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Used to express that one hopes that something does not happen".
No generated misspelling entries exist for heaven forfend in our index, typically a sign the spelling maps closely to how the word sounds. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: From heaven (“abode of God”) + forfend (“to avert; to forbid, prohibit”). The correct English form is heaven forfend, spelled H-E-A-V-E-N- -F-O-R-F-E-N-D.
Definition
- 1Used to express that one hopes that something does not happen
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how heaven forfend appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
Advisor: The voters now see you as imperial and god-like. Burns: Hot dog! Advisor: But there's a down-side to it. The latest polls indicate you're in danger of losing touch with the common man. Burns: Oh, dear! Heaven forfend!
Now there's an opportunity to employ a man who, heaven forfend, actually thinks about tactics and team balance.
Etymology
From heaven (“abode of God”) + forfend (“to avert; to forbid, prohibit”).
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.