gather

/ˈɡæðə/

//ˈɡæðə// verb

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

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

The verdict

“gather” has 9 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #4,762. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#4,762
frequency rank, English
2,313
“G” headwords
9
tracked misspellings
15
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To collect normally separate things.

Corpus desk

Index EN-gather · gather · English

gather · rank #4,762 · 9 variants · 15 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #4,762
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-MID 15 pairs
  • VAR-MID 9 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,313
  • PHOTO-FINISH functional

Nearest frequency peer: functional (-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 “gather”

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

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “gather” 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 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

gather vs gator
67% similar
gather vs gutter
67% similar
gather vs gawker
67% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for gather
PropertyValue
Headwordgather
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈɡæðə/
Letters6
Frequency rank#4,762
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs15
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “gather” 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). gather lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 9 spelling variants around gather (IPA /ˈɡæðə/), averb. Corpus frequency is #4,762 among 2,313 “G” headwords. Wiktionary lists 14 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for gather, with forms such as "agther", "gahter", and "gatehr". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 15 confusable-pair relationships, "gator", "gutter", "gawker", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English gaderen, from Old English gaderian (“to gather, assemble”), from Proto-West Germanic *gadurōn (“to bring together, unite, gather”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰedʰ- (“to unite, assemble, keep”). The correct English form is gather, spelled G-A-T-H-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    To collect normally separate things.
  2. 2
    To collect normally separate things.
  3. 3
    To collect normally separate things.
  4. 4
    To collect normally separate things.
  5. 5
    To collect normally separate things.
  6. 6
    To bring parts of a whole closer.
  7. 7
    To bring parts of a whole closer.
  8. 8
    To bring parts of a whole closer.
  9. 9
    To bring parts of a whole closer.
  10. 10
    To bring parts of a whole closer.
  11. 11
    To infer or conclude; to know from a different source.
  12. 12
    To be filled with pus
  13. 13
    To collect molten glass on the end of a tool.
  14. 14
    To gain; to win.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. I've been gathering ideas from the people I work with.
  2. She bent down to gather the reluctant cat from beneath the chair.

Etymology

From Middle English gaderen, from Old English gaderian (“to gather, assemble”), from Proto-West Germanic *gadurōn (“to bring together, unite, gather”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰedʰ- (“to unite, assemble, keep”).

Synonyms

accrueadd upaccumulateassemblebegatherassembleaggrouptogetherizeround up

This word in other languages

juntar(Español)rassembler(Français)sammeln(Deutsch)juntar(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • agther
  • gahter
  • gatehr
  • gatherr
  • gathher
  • gathre
  • gatther
  • ggather
  • gtaher

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of gather - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

agther2gahter2gatehr2gatherr1gathher1gathre2gatther1ggather1
Edit distance from "gather"

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 3, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "gather"?
"gather" is spelled G-A-T-H-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɡæðə/.
What does "gather" mean?
As a verb, "gather" means: To collect normally separate things.
What words are commonly confused with "gather"?
"gather" is commonly confused with "gator", "gutter", "gawker". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "gather"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "gather" is /ˈɡæðə/. 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 "gather"?
From Middle English gaderen, from Old English gaderian (“to gather, assemble”), from Proto-West Germanic *gadurōn (“to bring together, unite, gather”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰedʰ- (“to unite, assemble, keep”). 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 "gather", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

export#4,758divine#4,754landed#4,770nelson#4,781

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (9 here; floor ≥5).

jealous9 variantsoldest9 variantsPoland9 variantsAlbert9 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "gather". Here's where to go from here.

  • "gather" maps to 15 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "gator". View pair
  • 9 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #4,762 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "G" letter cohort. G–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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