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” sits in 20 confusable pairs (corpus #3,166) as a noun. The look-alike neighbours are the real trap.

#3,166
frequency rank, English
2,313
“G” headwords
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 2, 2026) - An opening in anything made by breaking or parting.

Corpus desk

Index EN-gap · gap · English

gap · rank #3,166 · 0 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #3,166
  • LEN-MID 3 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,313
  • PHOTO-FINISH format

Nearest frequency peer: format (-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 neighbourhood for “gap”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “gap” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 2, 2026

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.

Easy to mix with look-alikes

The spelling risk for gap is neighbouring look-alikes ("go", "GM", …), not just typos; it is anoun pronounced /ɡæp/. Frequency #3,166 among 2,313 “G” headwords. 13 recorded senses keep meaning in play.

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.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. He made a gap in the fence by kicking at a weak spot.
  2. We can slip through that gap between the buildings.

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.

PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of September 2, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

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

Same letter count

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

CEO#3,216egg#3,227hip#3,237DNA#3,053
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