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” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #4,762 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#4,762
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
15
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To collect normally separate things.

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.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for gather is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɡæðə/. Corpus data places it at rank #4,762 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 14 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

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.

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.

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.

Using “gather”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is G-A-T-H-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈɡæðə/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “gator” - see the side-by-side comparison. gather vs gator
  • 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