game

/ɡeɪm/

//ɡeɪm// noun

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

"game" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“game” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #182 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#182
frequency rank, English
4
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A playful or competitive activity.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

game vs GM
0% similar
game vs ge
50% similar
game vs gas
50% similar

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

Key facts for game
PropertyValue
Headwordgame
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɡeɪm/
Letters4
Frequency rank#182
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “game” 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). game 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 game is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɡeɪm/. Corpus data places it at rank #182 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 21 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for game, with forms such as "agme", "gaem", and "gamme". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "GM", "ge", "gas", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English game, gamen, gammen, from Old English gamen (“sport, joy, mirth, pastime, game, amusement, pleasure”), from Proto-West Germanic *gaman, from Proto-Germanic *gamaną (“amusement, pleasure, game", literally "participation, communion, people… The correct English form is game, spelled G-A-M-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A playful or competitive activity.
  2. 2
    A playful or competitive activity.
  3. 3
    A playful or competitive activity.
  4. 4
    A playful or competitive activity.
  5. 5
    A playful or competitive activity.
  6. 6
    A playful or competitive activity.
  7. 7
    A playful or competitive activity.
  8. 8
    A playful or competitive activity.
  9. 9
    A playful or competitive activity.
  10. 10
    A playful or competitive activity.
  11. 11
    A field of gainful activity, as an industry or profession.
  12. 12
    A field of gainful activity, as an industry or profession.
  13. 13
    Something that resembles a game with rules, despite not being designed.
  14. 14
    An exercise simulating warfare, whether computerized or involving human participants.
  15. 15
    A questionable or unethical practice in pursuit of a goal.
  16. 16
    Wild animals hunted for food.
  17. 17
    The ability to seduce or woo someone, usually by strategy.
  18. 18
    Lovemaking, flirtation.
  19. 19
    Prostitution. (Now chiefly in on the game.)
  20. 20
    Mastery; the ability to excel at something.
  21. 21
    Diversion, entertainment.

Etymology

From Middle English game, gamen, gammen, from Old English gamen (“sport, joy, mirth, pastime, game, amusement, pleasure”), from Proto-West Germanic *gaman, from Proto-Germanic *gamaną (“amusement, pleasure, game", literally "participation, communion, people together”), from *ga- (collective prefix) + *mann- (“man”); or alternatively from *ga- + a root from Proto-Indo-European *men- (“to think, have in mind”). Cognate with Yola gaame, gaaume, gaume (“game”), Old Frisian game, gome (“joy, amusement, entertainment”), Dutch gemelijk (“cantankerous, crabbed”), Middle High German gamen (“joy, amusement, fun, pleasure”), Danish gammen (“merriment”), Icelandic, Norwegian Nynorsk gaman (“joy, fun”), Swedish gamman (“mirth, rejoicing, merriment”). Related to gammon, gamble.

Synonyms

game

This word in other languages

juego(Español)jeu(Français)Spiel(Deutsch)jogo(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: agme,gaem,gamme,ggame,gmae

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of game - 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.

agme2gaem2gamme1ggame1gmae2
Edit distance from "game"

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 "game"?
"game" is spelled G-A-M-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɡeɪm/.
What does "game" mean?
As a noun, "game" means: A playful or competitive activity.
What words are commonly confused with "game"?
"game" is commonly confused with "GM", "ge", "gas". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "game"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "game" is /ɡeɪm/. 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 "game"?
From Middle English game, gamen, gammen, from Old English gamen (“sport, joy, mirth, pastime, game, amusement, pleasure”), from Proto-West Germanic *gaman, from Proto-Germanic *gamaną (“amusement, pleasure, game", literally "participation, communi... 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 “game”

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

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