Join In
Twitter
YouTube
Weekly Newsletter
Libraries
A-Z Grammatical Terms
A-Z Confused Words
FAQs by Writers
A-Z Awkward Plurals
Punctuation Lessons
Common Mistakes
(ordered by seriousness) ESL Vocabulary Lists Parts of Speech Lists A-Z Idioms and Proverbs Grammar Videos
(ordered by category) Tests and Games Top Tip Install a grammar checker
for your browser
(ordered by seriousness) ESL Vocabulary Lists Parts of Speech Lists A-Z Idioms and Proverbs Grammar Videos
(ordered by category) Tests and Games Top Tip Install a grammar checker
for your browser
Foul or Fowl?
What Is the Difference between "Foul" and "Fowl"?
"Foul" and "fowl" are easy to confuse because they sound identical (i.e., they are perfect homonyms).- "Foul" means bad, revolting, or distasteful. For example:
- This tomato tastes foul.
- In fair weather, you must prepare for foul weather.
(Writer Thomas Fuller)
- In sport, a "foul" is is unfair play. For example:
- That was a foul, referee.
- A "fowl" is a bird, namely gamefowl, landfowl, and waterfowl. For example:
- Many birds that are eaten by humans are fowl, including poultry such as chickens or turkeys.
- It is better to use fair means and fail than foul means and conquer.
(Roman historian Sallust)
- Golf is the only game I know where you call a foul on yourself.
(Baseball executive Joe Torre)
- People always say "Etta, you know what your problem is? You're neither fish nor fowl. There is no place to rack you."
(Singer Etta James)
- Many languages do not distinguish between poultry and fowl.
- foul smelling
- foul play
- to cry foul
- to fall foul of
- wild fowl
- guinea fowl
- water fowl
- Do you disagree with something on this page?
- Did you spot a typo?
- When using a search engine (e.g., Google, Bing), you will find Grammar Monster quicker if you add #gm to your search term.

More about "Foul"
The adjective "foul" describes something bad or repulsive. Example sentences with "foul":More about "Fowl"
The noun "fowl" means a bird or birds. (NB: "Fowl" is the plural of "fowl.") Fowl can be barnyard birds, domesticated birds, or wild birds.Example sentences with "fowl":
Common Terms with "Foul" and "Fowl"
Common terms with "foul":Ready for the Test?
Help Us Improve Grammar Monster
Find Us Quicker!