Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: Foreign
Explanation:
Given data
Concept/Approach
‘‘Foreign’’ derives from Latin/Old French and keeps the ‘‘-eign’’ letter cluster (as in ‘‘sovereign’’), pronounced /ˈfɔːr.ən/ with a silent ‘‘g’’.
Step-by-step reasoning
Foreign — correct spelling with ‘‘-eign’’.‘‘Foreine’’ — wrong vowel order and extra ‘‘e’’.‘‘Fariegn’’ — wrong vowel placement and sequence.‘‘Forein’’ — common misspelling reversing the ‘‘ei’’/‘‘ie’’ pattern; missing the ‘‘g’’ in ‘‘-eign’’.
Verification/Alternative
Dictionaries uniformly list the accepted form as ‘‘foreign’’.
Common pitfalls
Applying ‘‘i before e except after c’’ incorrectly; this word is an exception and uses ‘‘-eign’’.
Final Answer
The correct spelling is Foreign.
Discussion & Comments