gast

/ɡɑːst/

//ɡɑːst// verb

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

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

The verdict

“gast” is uncommon English (frequency #88,372 among 18,276 “G” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#88,372
frequency rank, English
18,276
“G” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To frighten.

Key facts for gast
PropertyValue
Headwordgast
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ɡɑːst/
Letters4
Frequency rank#88,372
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “gast” 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). gast 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

gast is uncommon English at frequency #88,372 among 18,276 “G” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ɡɑːst/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "To frighten.".

No misspelling variants are generated for gast in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English gasten, from Old English gǣstan, from Proto-Germanic *gaistijaną. Also spelled ghast due to association with ghost. The correct English form is gast, spelled G-A-S-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    To frighten.

Etymology

From Middle English gasten, from Old English gǣstan, from Proto-Germanic *gaistijaną. Also spelled ghast due to association with ghost.

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 "gast"?
"gast" is spelled G-A-S-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ɡɑːst/.
What does "gast" mean?
As a verb, "gast" means: To frighten.
How do you pronounce "gast"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "gast" is /ɡɑːst/. 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 "gast"?
From Middle English gasten, from Old English gǣstan, from Proto-Germanic *gaistijaną. Also spelled ghast due to association with ghost. 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 “gast”

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

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