gap

/ɡæp/

//ɡæp// noun

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

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

The verdict

“gap” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #3,166 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#3,166
frequency rank, English
3
letters
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An opening in anything made by breaking or parting.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

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

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

Key facts for gap
PropertyValue
Headwordgap
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɡæp/
Letters3
Frequency rank#3,166
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “gap” 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). gap 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 gap is 3 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɡæp/. Corpus data places it at rank #3,166 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 13 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Zero misspellings are on record for gap in our index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "go", "GM", "GB", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English gap, gappe, from Old Norse gap (“an empty space, gap, chasm”), from gapa (“to gape, scream”), from Proto-Germanic *gapōną, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰeh₂- (“to open wide, gape”). Related to Danish gab (“an expanse, space, gap”), Old Eng… The correct English form is gap, spelled G-A-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    An opening in anything made by breaking or parting.
  2. 2
    An opening allowing passage or entrance.
  3. 3
    An opening that implies a breach or defect.
  4. 4
    A vacant space or time.
  5. 5
    A hiatus, a pause in something which is otherwise continuous.
  6. 6
    A vacancy, deficit, absence, or lack.
  7. 7
    A mountain or hill pass.
  8. 8
    A sheltered area of coast between two cliffs (mostly restricted to place names).
  9. 9
    The regions between the outfielders.
  10. 10
    The shortfall between the amount the medical insurer will pay to the service provider and the scheduled fee for the item.
  11. 11
    The disparity between the indigenous and non-indigenous communities with regard to life expectancy, education, health, etc.
  12. 12
    An unsequenced region in a sequence alignment.
  13. 13
    The vagina.

Etymology

From Middle English gap, gappe, from Old Norse gap (“an empty space, gap, chasm”), from gapa (“to gape, scream”), from Proto-Germanic *gapōną, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰeh₂- (“to open wide, gape”). Related to Danish gab (“an expanse, space, gap”), Old English ġeap (“open space, expanse”). Doublet of gape.

Synonyms

breakholeripsplittearriftchasmfissurebreakclearingholeopeningspacebreakspacewindowinterspaceinterimhiatuspausecolneckpass

This word in other languages

brecha(Español)brèche(Français)Spalte(Deutsch)fenda(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 "gap"?
"gap" is spelled G-A-P. The IPA pronunciation is /ɡæp/.
What does "gap" mean?
As a noun, "gap" means: An opening in anything made by breaking or parting.
What words are commonly confused with "gap"?
"gap" 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 "gap"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "gap" is /ɡæp/. 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 "gap"?
From Middle English gap, gappe, from Old Norse gap (“an empty space, gap, chasm”), from gapa (“to gape, scream”), from Proto-Germanic *gapōną, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰeh₂- (“to open wide, gape”). Related to Danish gab (“an expanse, space, gap”... 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 “gap”

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

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