Friend or freind

By Strategically AI. Reviewed by Rebecca Hey.
Updated November 17, 2023
5 minute read
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Friend or freind

Is it a best 'friend' or a best 'freind'? Spelling this word is tricky, especially considering the vowel order in the middle. So, many people get it wrong. However, don't fret. In this article, we will look at the correct spelling. This way, you will avoid grammatical errors and other annoyances in your writing.

Let's go!

What Is the definition of friend?

'Friend' is a noun, and it refers to a person you know well, like, and trust. When referring to a 'friend', we mean someone we consider close to us. 

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, 'friend' means:

  • A person attached to another by esteem or affection
  • An acquaintance
  • Someone who isn't hostile towards us
  • A person that belongs to the same group as us
  • A favoured companion
  • A promoter of something, like a charity

More rarely, 'friend' means a 'member of the Christian sect, Quakers, who reject sacraments and an ordained ministry while opposing war and conflict'.

Here are some example sentences: 

  • Bob has been a friend of our family for years.
  • Sue hangs out with many friends
  • Often, dogs are considered man's best friend
  • Jonathan was my friend until he betrayed me. 
  • Lola's friend is Lily. 
  • This person has lots of friends
  • We, Friends (i.e., Quakers), despise conflict and find solace in peace. 
  • There are many fortune friends clubs available for you to join. 

Which Is correct: Freind or friend?

The word's correct spelling is 'friend', not 'freind.' 

It's easy to misspell it by mixing up the 'i' and 'e' in the middle to make 'freind'. However, paying attention to your writing or using a dedicated spell checker makes it wrong. 

Let's see some example sentences to understand this better:

  • Making friends is challenging. 
  • Making freinds is challenging. 
  • Mary has been Matt's best friend since primary school. 
  • Mary has been Matt's best freind since primary school. 

The 'i before e, except c' rule, informs us that 'i' must come before 'e' in most words unless they don't follow the letter 'c'. There are exceptions to the rule, although 'friend' is not one of them! So, remembering the 'i before e, except c' rule can help you avoid making grammatical mistakes. 

Is it friends of friend's?

'Friends' is the plural form of 'friend'. At the same time, 'friend's' is the possessive form of 'friend.' Friends' is the possessive form of the plural 'friends'. 

Although written slightly differently, 'friends', 'friend's', and 'friends' are all pronounced the same. 

Friends

When we want to use the plural form of 'friend', we use 'friends'. 

Example sentences: 

  • Unfortunately, I have just one friend.
  • Fortunately, I have lots of friends!

Friend's

Friend's is the possessive form of the word 'friend'. We use it when our friend owns something specific. 

Example sentences: 

  • These are my friend's video games. 
  • I have to feed my best friend's cat while she's away on vacation. 

Friends'

Friends' is the plural of the possessive form of 'friend.' Therefore:

  • Our friends' house looks cool.
  • Our friends' car is brand-new. Perhaps, we should buy a new one, too?

Remember, when the noun ends in 's', but we want to make the word possessive, we don't need to double the 's'. Instead, we just put an apostrophe. 

  • So, don't use friends's but friends'. 

Is friends spelled with an apostrophe?

As mentioned above, 'friends' can be spelt with an apostrophe only when it indicates possession. 

How do you remember how to spell friend or freind?

The best way to remember the correct spelling of 'friend' is by memory. Studying the word and using it in your day-to-day writing can help you remember how to spell it. However, for some people, that's not enough. And that's OK!

If you find yourself in a challenging situation and, no matter what, cannot remember how to spell 'friend' correctly, using a handy mnemonic might be what you need. Here are some mnemonic devices:

  • I will be your friend to the END
  • Friends end in END
  • If you 'fri' your friend, he'll come to an 'end'
  • You wouldn't want a fiend for a friend, so remember how you r

Freind as a surname

Keep in mind that although 'freind' is wrong as a noun or verb, it's perfectly right as a surname. John Freind was a famous English physician. He admired the work of Ancient Greek orators, like Aeschines and Demosthenes, and produced one of the well-known volumes on physic, The History of Physic, in the mid-18th century. In 1726, John Freind became the personal physician of Queen Caroline, wife of King George II. He held the office until his death. 

Etymology of friend

'Friend' comes from the Old English word 'freond', which means a person attached to another by preference and feelings of regard. 'Freond', derives from the Proto-Germanic 'frijōjands' meaning 'friend' or 'lover/loved one.' Also, 'frijōjands' is related to Old Norse 'frændi', Old Frisian 'friund', and Old Danish word 'frynt', among others. 

The meaning of 'Quaker', a Society of Friends member, is from the 17th century. 'Feond', originally meaning 'enemy', and 'freond' were commonly paired in Old English. Even though they both are considered masculine nouns and derive from the present participle of verbs, they aren't related to each other. 

A newer usage of the word 'friend' is on the popular social networking site, Facebook. Founded in 2005, 'friend' indicates Facebook users connected with your profile. 

Last but not least, 'friend' is commonly used as a verb occasionally in English, too, especially after the 13th century, in the sense of 'act or join as a friend.' 

Conclusion: The correct spelling of word friend

'Friend' typically refers to a person you know well and like. Other meanings include 'friending' someone on Facebook or other social networking sites, being a member of a religious sect, or a person who isn't hostile. No matter the meaning, 'friend' has always been the correct spelling, with an 'ie' in the middle. 

If you're still confused with the spelling of friend or freind, you can either remember the 'i before e, except c' rule, or use a mnemonic. In both cases, you will avoid making mistakes and improve your writing. And if you need more help with your spelling, proofreading, or content writing, feel free to reach out to Strategically, one of the UK's best content creation solutions. 

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Rebecca Hey
Founder of Strategically.co, we’ve created over 10 million words of impactful content, driving organic traffic growth for more than 300 businesses.
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