gamble

/ˈɡæm.bəl/

//ˈɡæm.bəl// noun

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

"gamble" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“gamble” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #9,752 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#9,752
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
11
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A bet or wager.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

gamble vs game
67% similar
gamble vs Gayle
50% similar
gamble vs gobble
67% similar

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

Key facts for gamble
PropertyValue
Headwordgamble
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɡæm.bəl/
Letters6
Frequency rank#9,752
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs11
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “gamble” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). gamble lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for gamble is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɡæm.bəl/. Corpus data places it at rank #9,752 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for gamble, with forms such as "agmble", "gabmle", and "gambble". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 11 confusable-pair relationships, "game", "Gayle", "gobble", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From earlier gamel, from Middle English *gamlen, *gamelen, variant of Middle English gamenen, from Old English gæmnian, gamnian, gamenian (“to joke; play”), related to Old English gamen (“joy; mirth; pleasure; entertainment; pastime; sport; game”), equivale… The correct English form is gamble, spelled G-A-M-B-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A bet or wager.
  2. 2
    A significant risk, undertaken with a potential gain.
  3. 3
    A risky venture.

Etymology

From earlier gamel, from Middle English *gamlen, *gamelen, variant of Middle English gamenen, from Old English gæmnian, gamnian, gamenian (“to joke; play”), related to Old English gamen (“joy; mirth; pleasure; entertainment; pastime; sport; game”), equivalent to game + -le. Compare Old Danish gammel, Middle High German gamel (“pleasure; fun”). More at game.

This word in other languages

apuesta(Español)pari(Français)Glücksspiel(Deutsch)aposta(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: agmble,gabmle,gambble,gambel,gamblle,gamlbe,gammble,ggamble,gmable

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of gamble - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

agmble2gabmle2gambble1gambel2gamblle1gamlbe2gammble1ggamble1
Edit distance from "gamble"

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 "gamble"?
"gamble" is spelled G-A-M-B-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɡæm.bəl/.
What does "gamble" mean?
As a noun, "gamble" means: A bet or wager.
What words are commonly confused with "gamble"?
"gamble" is commonly confused with "game", "Gayle", "gobble". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "gamble"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "gamble" is /ˈɡæm.bəl/. 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 "gamble"?
From earlier gamel, from Middle English *gamlen, *gamelen, variant of Middle English gamenen, from Old English gæmnian, gamnian, gamenian (“to joke; play”), related to Old English gamen (“joy; mirth; pleasure; entertainment; pastime; sport; game”)... 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.

Using “gamble”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is G-A-M-B-L-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈɡæm.bəl/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “game” - see the side-by-side comparison. gamble vs game
  • 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list