gargoyle

/ˈɡɑːɡɔɪl/

//ˈɡɑːɡɔɪl// noun

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

"gargoyle" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“gargoyle” has 12 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #45,387. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#45,387
frequency rank, English
2,313
“G” headwords
12
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A carved grotesque figure on a spout which conveys water away from the gutters.

Corpus desk

Index EN-gargoyle · gargoyle · English

gargoyle · rank #45,387 · 12 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #45,387
  • LEN-LONG 8 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 12 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,313
  • PHOTO-FINISH gantry

Nearest frequency peer: gantry (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “gargoyle”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “gargoyle” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for gargoyle
PropertyValue
Headwordgargoyle
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɡɑːɡɔɪl/
Letters8
Frequency rank#45,387
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “gargoyle”

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).gargoylelands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “gantry” (#45,386), “gaslight” (#45,388), “gallium” (#45,385). Among 2,313 “G” headwords, “gargoyle” is #45,387. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 12 spelling variants around gargoyle (IPA /ˈɡɑːɡɔɪl/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #45,387 among 2,313 “G” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for gargoyle, with forms such as "agrgoyle", "gagroyle", and "garggoyle". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Old French gargouille, from Latin. Doublet of gargle. The Académie Française suggests the first attestation as gargoule in 1294. The correct English form is gargoyle, spelled G-A-R-G-O-Y-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A carved grotesque figure on a spout which conveys water away from the gutters.
  2. 2
    Any decorative carved grotesque figure on a building.
  3. 3
    A fictional winged monster.
  4. 4
    An ugly woman.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. As we went, however, I took the precaution of noting our route as well as I could; and this was not so very difficult, owing to the extraordinary and most fantastic shape of the rocks that were strewn about, many of which in that dim light looked more like the grim faces carven upon mediæval gargoyles than ordinary boulders.
  2. From between set teeth came now a flow of oaths and imprecations as steady as the flow of water from the gargoyle overhead.

Etymology

From Old French gargouille, from Latin. Doublet of gargle. The Académie Française suggests the first attestation as gargoule in 1294.

Synonyms

grotesquehunky punkcronehag

This word in other languages

gárgola(Español)gargouille(Français)Wasserspeier(Deutsch)gárgula(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • agrgoyle
  • gagroyle
  • garggoyle
  • gargolye
  • gargoyel
  • gargoylle
  • gargoyyle
  • gargyole
  • garogyle
  • garrgoyle
  • ggargoyle
  • gragoyle

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of gargoyle - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

agrgoyle2gagroyle2garggoyle1gargolye2gargoyel2gargoylle1gargoyyle1gargyole2
Edit distance from "gargoyle"

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 "gargoyle"?
"gargoyle" is spelled G-A-R-G-O-Y-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɡɑːɡɔɪl/.
What does "gargoyle" mean?
As a noun, "gargoyle" means: A carved grotesque figure on a spout which conveys water away from the gutters.
What are common misspellings of "gargoyle"?
Common misspellings include "agrgoyle", "gagroyle", "garggoyle", "gargolye", "gargoyel". The correct spelling is "gargoyle".
How do you pronounce "gargoyle"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "gargoyle" is /ˈɡɑːɡɔɪl/. 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 "gargoyle"?
From Old French gargouille, from Latin. Doublet of gargle. The Académie Française suggests the first attestation as gargoule in 1294. 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 "gargoyle", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 8 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

gaslight#45,388fiftieth#45,371grannies#45,407exhausts#45,364

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (12 here; floor ≥5).

engender12 variantsemigrant12 variantsinedible12 variantsjailhouse12 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list