gentamicin

/d͡ʒɛn.təˈmaɪ.sɪn/

//d͡ʒɛn.təˈmaɪ.sɪn// noun

"gentamicin" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“gentamicin” is uncommon English (frequency #91,559 among 2,313 “G” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#91,559
frequency rank, English
2,313
“G” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A broad-spectrum aminoglycoside antibiotic mixture, derived from an actinomycete (Micromonospora echinospora), extensively used as the sulfate in treating severe systemic bacterial infections (as o...

Corpus desk

Index EN-gentamicin · gentamicin · English

gentamicin · rank #91,559 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #91,559
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,313
  • PHOTO-FINISH gerund

Nearest frequency peer: gerund (+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.

Long-tail ranks near “gentamicin”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “gentamicin” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for gentamicin
PropertyValue
Headwordgentamicin
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/d͡ʒɛn.təˈmaɪ.sɪn/
Letters10
Frequency rank#91,559
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “gentamicin” in English

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).gentamicinfalls in this rarity band:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Rare peers in the same band: “gerund” (#91,560), “gein” (#91,557), “gest” (#91,561). Among 2,313 “G” headwords, “gentamicin” is #91,559. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

gentamicin is uncommon English at frequency #91,559 among 2,313 “G” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /d͡ʒɛn.təˈmaɪ.sɪn/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A broad-spectrum aminoglycoside antibiotic mixture, derived from an actinomycete (Micromonospora echinospora), extensively used as the sulfate in treating severe systemic bacterial infections (as o...".

No generated misspelling entries exist for gentamicin in our index, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Alteration of gentamycin, as a blend of gentian violet + kanamycin, from the color of the actinomycete. The correct English form is gentamicin, spelled G-E-N-T-A-M-I-C-I-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A broad-spectrum aminoglycoside antibiotic mixture, derived from an actinomycete (Micromonospora echinospora), extensively used as the sulfate in treating severe systemic bacterial infections (as of the urinary tract); (3R,4R,5R)-2-{[(1S,2S,3R,4S,6R)-4,6-diamino-3-{[(2R,3R,6S)-3-amino-6-[(1R)-1-(methylamino)ethyl]oxan-2-yl]oxy}-2-hydroxycyclohexyl]oxy}-5-methyl-4-(methylamino)oxane-3,5-diol.

Etymology

Alteration of gentamycin, as a blend of gentian violet + kanamycin, from the color of the actinomycete.

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 "gentamicin"?
"gentamicin" is spelled G-E-N-T-A-M-I-C-I-N. The IPA pronunciation is /d͡ʒɛn.təˈmaɪ.sɪn/.
What does "gentamicin" mean?
As a noun, "gentamicin" means: A broad-spectrum aminoglycoside antibiotic mixture, derived from an actinomycete (Micromonospora echinospora), extensively used as the sulfate in treating severe systemic bacterial infections (as o...
How do you pronounce "gentamicin"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "gentamicin" is /d͡ʒɛn.təˈmaɪ.sɪn/. 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 "gentamicin"?
Alteration of gentamycin, as a blend of gentian violet + kanamycin, from the color of the actinomycete. 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 "gentamicin", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list