gargle

/ˈɡɑːɡəl/

//ˈɡɑːɡəl// verb

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

"gargle" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“gargle” is uncommon English (frequency #60,822 among 18,276 “G” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#60,822
frequency rank, English
18,276
“G” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To clean one's mouth by holding water or some other liquid in the back of the mouth and blowing air out from the lungs.

Key facts for gargle
PropertyValue
Headwordgargle
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈɡɑːɡəl/
Letters6
Frequency rank#60,822
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “gargle” 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). gargle 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

gargle is uncommon English at frequency #60,822 among 18,276 “G” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ˈɡɑːɡəl/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 5 senses are on record.

gargle doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From French gargouiller (“to gargle”), from Old French gargouille, gargole (“gutter, throat”). Compare gargoyle and Spanish garganta. Displaced non-native Middle English gargargisen (“to gargle”) from Latin, and native Old English swillan (“to gargle”) (anc… The correct English form is gargle, spelled G-A-R-G-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To clean one's mouth by holding water or some other liquid in the back of the mouth and blowing air out from the lungs.
  2. 2
    To make a sound like the one made while gargling.
  3. 3
    To clean a specific part of the body by gargling (almost always throat or mouth).
  4. 4
    To use (a liquid) for purposes of cleaning one's mouth or throat by gargling.
  5. 5
    To perform oral sex on (a person or genitals).

Etymology

From French gargouiller (“to gargle”), from Old French gargouille, gargole (“gutter, throat”). Compare gargoyle and Spanish garganta. Displaced non-native Middle English gargargisen (“to gargle”) from Latin, and native Old English swillan (“to gargle”) (ancestor of English swill).

This word in other languages

gargarizar(Español)se gargariser(Français)gurgeln(Deutsch)gargarejar(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 "gargle"?
"gargle" is spelled G-A-R-G-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɡɑːɡəl/.
What does "gargle" mean?
As a verb, "gargle" means: To clean one's mouth by holding water or some other liquid in the back of the mouth and blowing air out from the lungs.
How do you pronounce "gargle"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "gargle" is /ˈɡɑːɡəl/. 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 "gargle"?
From French gargouiller (“to gargle”), from Old French gargouille, gargole (“gutter, throat”). Compare gargoyle and Spanish garganta. Displaced non-native Middle English gargargisen (“to gargle”) from Latin, and native Old English swillan (“to gar... 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 “gargle”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is G-A-R-G-L-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈɡɑːɡəl/ (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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list