Do you have a ‘best friend’ or a ‘best freind’? Spelling this word correctly can be tricky, especially the vowel order in the middle. But this post will look at how to spell this word correctly so you can avoid errors in your writing.
What Does Friend Mean?
‘Friend’ is a noun that typically refers to someone you know well and like:
Don has been a family friend for years.
Susan has lots of friends.
Dogs are often called man’s best friend.
These days, it is also sometimes used as a verb on social media to describe following someone (e.g. on Facebook):
Simon friended Dave on Facebook.
In all cases, though, this word is always spelled ‘friend’.
Friend or Freind?
The spelling used in the above examples – ‘friend’ – is the correct one. But it is easy to misspell this word by mixing up the ‘i’ and ‘e’ to make ‘freind’:
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I find it hard to make freinds. ✘
I find it hard to make friends. ✔
Debbie had been Tina’s freind since school. ✘
Debbie had been Tina’s friend since school. ✔
Luckily, the ‘I before E except after C’ rule tells us that ‘i’ should come before ‘e’ in most words (as long as they don’t follow the letter ‘c’). There are exceptions to this. But it works for ‘friend’, so it will help you avoid errors!
Summary: Friend or Freind?
‘Friend’ is almost always a noun that refers to someone you know and like. It has a few other meanings, such as ‘friending’ someone on social media, but it is always spelled ‘friend’, with an ‘-ie-’ in the middle.
If you struggle with this word, remember the rhyme ‘I before E except after C’! If you can keep this in mind, you will avoid any mistakes. And if you’d like any more help with your spelling, try a free proofreading trial with us today.