heaven forfend
/ˌhɛvn̩ fɔːˈfɛnd/
"heaven-forfend" is a 13-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“heaven forfend” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as an interjection - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 14
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Used to express that one hopes that something does not happen
| 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) |
Where “heaven forfend” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for heaven forfend is 14 letters long, classified as an interjection, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌhɛvn̩ fɔːˈfɛnd/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "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
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.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “heaven forfend”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is H-E-A-V-E-N- -F-O-R-F-E-N-D - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˌhɛvn̩ fɔːˈfɛnd/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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.