gag

/ˈɡæɡ/

//ˈɡæɡ// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"gag" is a 3-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“gag” sits in 20 confusable pairs (corpus #12,426) as a noun. The look-alike neighbours are the real trap.

#12,426
frequency rank, English
2,313
“G” headwords
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A device to restrain speech, such as a rag in the mouth secured with tape or a rubber ball threaded onto a cord or strap.

Corpus desk

Index EN-gag · gag · English

gag · rank #12,426 · 0 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #12,426
  • LEN-MID 3 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,313
  • PHOTO-FINISH funky

Nearest frequency peer: funky (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Frequency neighbours of confusable “gag”

Peers at similar corpus weight, separate from look-alike pairs below

corpus weight

What this shows Bars place “gag” against nearest ranked English headwords, not a reprint of the confusable-pair desk.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

gag vs go
33% similar
gag vs GM
0% similar
gag vs GB
0% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for gag
PropertyValue
Headwordgag
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɡæɡ/
Letters3
Frequency rank#12,426
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Corpus rank beside confusables of “gag”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).gaglands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “funky” (#12,425), “gee” (#12,427), “fowler” (#12,424). Among 2,313 “G” headwords, “gag” is #12,426. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Easy to mix with look-alikes

The spelling risk for gag is neighbouring look-alikes ("go", "GM", …), not just typos; it is anoun pronounced /ˈɡæɡ/. Frequency #12,426 among 2,313 “G” headwords. 10 recorded senses keep meaning in play.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for gag, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "go", "GM", "GB", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: The noun is from Early Modern English gagge; the verb is from Middle English gaggen. Possibly imitative or perhaps related to or influenced by Old Norse gag-háls ("with head thrown backwards"; > Norwegian dialectal gaga (“bent backwards”)). The intransitive… The correct English form is gag, spelled G-A-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    A device to restrain speech, such as a rag in the mouth secured with tape or a rubber ball threaded onto a cord or strap.
  2. 2
    An order or rule forbidding discussion of a case or subject.
  3. 3
    Any suppression of freedom of speech.
  4. 4
    A joke or other mischievous prank.
  5. 5
    a device or trick used to create a practical effect; a gimmick
  6. 6
    A convulsion of the upper digestive tract.
  7. 7
    A mouthful that makes one retch or choke.
  8. 8
    Unscripted lines introduced by an actor into his part.
  9. 9
    Mycteroperca microlepis, a species of grouper.
  10. 10
    A shocking or surprising thing.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how gag appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Blood may seep to the back of the throat and may clot, producing an “artificial gag” of clotted blood.
  2. Civil Court blocks PM's gag on free speech

Etymology

The noun is from Early Modern English gagge; the verb is from Middle English gaggen. Possibly imitative or perhaps related to or influenced by Old Norse gag-háls ("with head thrown backwards"; > Norwegian dialectal gaga (“bent backwards”)). The intransitive sense "to retch" is from 1707. The noun is from the 16th century, figurative use (for "repression of speech") from the 1620s. The secondary meaning "(practical) joke" is from 1863, of unclear origin.

Synonyms

gag order

This word in other languages

mordaza(Español)bâillon(Français)Knebel(Deutsch)mordaça(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "gag"?
"gag" is spelled G-A-G. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɡæɡ/.
What does "gag" mean?
As a noun, "gag" means: A device to restrain speech, such as a rag in the mouth secured with tape or a rubber ball threaded onto a cord or strap.
What words are commonly confused with "gag"?
"gag" is commonly confused with "go", "GM", "GB". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "gag"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "gag" is /ˈɡæɡ/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "gag"?
The noun is from Early Modern English gagge; the verb is from Middle English gaggen. Possibly imitative or perhaps related to or influenced by Old Norse gag-háls ("with head thrown backwards"; > Norwegian dialectal gaga (“bent backwards”)). The in... See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "gag", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 3 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

gee#12,427fax#12,419dow#12,409MP3#12,463

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list