general

/ˈd͡ʒɛn.(ə.)ɹəl/

//ˈd͡ʒɛn.(ə.)ɹəl// adj

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

"general" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“general” is in the everyday core of English, ranked #320 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#320
frequency rank, English
7
letters
10
tracked misspellings
8
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Including or involving every part or member of a given or implied entity, whole, etc.; common to all, universal.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

general vs Geneva
57% similar
general vs genial
71% similar
general vs generic
71% similar

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

Key facts for general
PropertyValue
Headwordgeneral
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈd͡ʒɛn.(ə.)ɹəl/
Letters7
Frequency rank#320
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs8
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “general” 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). general 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 general is 7 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈd͡ʒɛn.(ə.)ɹəl/. Corpus data places it at rank #320 in overall English word frequency, putting it firmly in the everyday core of the language. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for general, with forms such as "egneral", "geenral", and "genearl". 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 8 confusable-pair relationships, "Geneva", "genial", "generic", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English general, in turn from Anglo-Norman general, generall, Middle French general, and their source, Latin generālis, from genus (“class, kind”) + -ālis (“-al”); thus morphologically parallel with, and a doublet of, generic. The correct English form is general, spelled G-E-N-E-R-A-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Including or involving every part or member of a given or implied entity, whole, etc.; common to all, universal.
  2. 2
    Applied to a person (as a postmodifier or a normal preceding adjective) to indicate supreme rank, in civil or military titles, and later in other terms; pre-eminent.
  3. 3
    Prevalent or widespread among a given class or area; common, usual.
  4. 4
    Not limited in use or application; applicable across a broad range.
  5. 5
    Giving or consisting of only the most important aspects of something, ignoring minor details; indefinite.
  6. 6
    Not of a specific class; miscellaneous.

Etymology

From Middle English general, in turn from Anglo-Norman general, generall, Middle French general, and their source, Latin generālis, from genus (“class, kind”) + -ālis (“-al”); thus morphologically parallel with, and a doublet of, generic.

This word in other languages

general(Español)général(Français)allgemein(Deutsch)geral(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: egneral,geenral,genearl,generall,generla,generral,genneral,genreal,ggeneral,gneeral

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

egneral2geenral2genearl2generall1generla2generral1genneral1genreal2
Edit distance from "general"

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 "general"?
"general" is spelled G-E-N-E-R-A-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈd͡ʒɛn.(ə.)ɹəl/.
What does "general" mean?
As an adjective, "general" means: Including or involving every part or member of a given or implied entity, whole, etc.; common to all, universal.
What words are commonly confused with "general"?
"general" is commonly confused with "Geneva", "genial", "generic". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "general"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "general" is /ˈd͡ʒɛn.(ə.)ɹəl/. 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 "general"?
From Middle English general, in turn from Anglo-Norman general, generall, Middle French general, and their source, Latin generālis, from genus (“class, kind”) + -ālis (“-al”); thus morphologically parallel with, and a doublet of, generic. 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 “general”

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

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