gamelan

/ˈɡæməˌlæn/

//ˈɡæməˌlæn// noun

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

"gamelan" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“gamelan” is uncommon English (frequency #91,545 among 18,276 “G” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#91,545
frequency rank, English
18,276
“G” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A genre of music of Indonesian origin typically featuring metallophones, xylophones, drums, gongs and a bamboo flute (called a suling).

Key facts for gamelan
PropertyValue
Headwordgamelan
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɡæməˌlæn/
Letters7
Frequency rank#91,545
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “gamelan” 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). gamelan lands here:

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

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

Rare enough to double-check

gamelan is uncommon English at frequency #91,545 among 18,276 “G” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈɡæməˌlæn/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for gamelan in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Javanese gamelan, from Old Javanese gamĕlan. The correct English form is gamelan, spelled G-A-M-E-L-A-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A genre of music of Indonesian origin typically featuring metallophones, xylophones, drums, gongs and a bamboo flute (called a suling).
  2. 2
    An ensemble performing this style of music.

Etymology

Borrowed from Javanese gamelan, from Old Javanese gamĕlan.

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 "gamelan"?
"gamelan" is spelled G-A-M-E-L-A-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɡæməˌlæn/.
What does "gamelan" mean?
As a noun, "gamelan" means: A genre of music of Indonesian origin typically featuring metallophones, xylophones, drums, gongs and a bamboo flute (called a suling).
How do you pronounce "gamelan"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "gamelan" is /ˈɡæməˌlæn/. 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 "gamelan"?
Borrowed from Javanese gamelan, from Old Javanese gamĕlan. 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 “gamelan”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is G-A-M-E-L-A-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈɡæməˌlæn/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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