fool's gold
"fool-s-gold" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“fool's gold” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 11
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold; mainly iron pyrite.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | fool's gold |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| Letters | 11 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “fool's gold” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
fool's gold is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.
Zero misspellings are on record for fool's gold in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. Our dataset records no confusable match here, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.
Etymologically, the entry records: From the idea that the mineral fools people (especially those who are fools) into mistakenly thinking that they have found gold. Regarding minerals that were named for deceptive appearance that prompts confusion with others, compare also apatite. The correct English form is fool's gold, spelled F-O-O-L-'-S- -G-O-L-D.
Definition
- 1A mineral or other substance often mistaken for gold; mainly iron pyrite.
- 2Something worthless that deceptively seems valuable.
Etymology
From the idea that the mineral fools people (especially those who are fools) into mistakenly thinking that they have found gold. Regarding minerals that were named for deceptive appearance that prompts confusion with others, compare also apatite.
This word in other languages
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 “fool's gold”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is F-O-O-L-'-S- -G-O-L-D - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- 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.