gape

/ˈɡeɪp/

//ˈɡeɪp// verb

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

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

The verdict

“gape” is an uncommon English word, ranked #50,530 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#50,530
frequency rank, English
4
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To open the mouth wide, especially involuntarily, as in a yawn, anger, or surprise.

Key facts for gape
PropertyValue
Headwordgape
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈɡeɪp/
Letters4
Frequency rank#50,530
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “gape” 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). gape 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 gape is 4 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɡeɪp/. Corpus data places it at rank #50,530 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for gape, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English gapen, from Old Norse gapa (“to gape”) (compare Swedish gapa, Danish gabe), from Proto-Germanic *gapōną (descendants Middle English geapen, Dutch gapen, German gaffen), perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰеh₂b-. Cognates include Russian … The correct English form is gape, spelled G-A-P-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To open the mouth wide, especially involuntarily, as in a yawn, anger, or surprise.
  2. 2
    To stare in wonder.
  3. 3
    To open wide; to display a gap.
  4. 4
    To open the passage to the vomeronasal organ, analogous to the flehming in other animals.
  5. 5
    To depict a dilated anal or vaginal cavity upon penetrative sexual activity.

Etymology

From Middle English gapen, from Old Norse gapa (“to gape”) (compare Swedish gapa, Danish gabe), from Proto-Germanic *gapōną (descendants Middle English geapen, Dutch gapen, German gaffen), perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰеh₂b-. Cognates include Russian зяпа (zjapa). Doublet of gap.

This word in other languages

boquear(Español)bayer(Français)klaffen(Deutsch)

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 "gape"?
"gape" is spelled G-A-P-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɡeɪp/.
What does "gape" mean?
As a verb, "gape" means: To open the mouth wide, especially involuntarily, as in a yawn, anger, or surprise.
How do you pronounce "gape"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "gape" is /ˈɡeɪp/. 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 "gape"?
From Middle English gapen, from Old Norse gapa (“to gape”) (compare Swedish gapa, Danish gabe), from Proto-Germanic *gapōną (descendants Middle English geapen, Dutch gapen, German gaffen), perhaps from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰеh₂b-. Cognates includ... 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 “gape”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is G-A-P-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈɡeɪp/ (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
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