gentle

/ˈdʒɛntl̩/

//ˈdʒɛntl̩// adj

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

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

The verdict

“gentle” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #5,419 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#5,419
frequency rank, English
6
letters
9
tracked misspellings
10
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Tender and amiable; of a considerate or kindly disposition.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

gentle vs gents
67% similar
gentle vs gently
83% similar
gentle vs gentry
67% similar

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

Key facts for gentle
PropertyValue
Headwordgentle
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈdʒɛntl̩/
Letters6
Frequency rank#5,419
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs10
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “gentle” 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). gentle 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 gentle is 6 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈdʒɛntl̩/. Corpus data places it at rank #5,419 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 6 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 gentle, with forms such as "egntle", "genlte", and "genntle". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 10 confusable-pair relationships, "gents", "gently", "gentry", 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 gentil (“courteous, noble”), from Old French gentil (“high-born, noble”), from Latin gentilis (“of the same family or clan”), from gens (“[Roman] clan”). Doublet of gentile, genteel, and jaunty. The correct English form is gentle, spelled G-E-N-T-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Tender and amiable; of a considerate or kindly disposition.
  2. 2
    Soft and mild rather than hard or severe.
  3. 3
    Docile and easily managed.
  4. 4
    Gradual rather than steep or sudden.
  5. 5
    Polite and respectful rather than rude.
  6. 6
    Well-born; of a good family or respectable birth, though not noble.

Etymology

From Middle English gentil (“courteous, noble”), from Old French gentil (“high-born, noble”), from Latin gentilis (“of the same family or clan”), from gens (“[Roman] clan”). Doublet of gentile, genteel, and jaunty.

Synonyms

friendlykindpoliterespectful

Antonyms

rude

This word in other languages

tierno(Español)gentil(Français)liebenswürdig(Deutsch)gentil(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: egntle,genlte,genntle,gentel,gentlle,genttle,getnle,ggentle,gnetle

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of gentle - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

egntle2genlte2genntle1gentel2gentlle1genttle1getnle2ggentle1
Edit distance from "gentle"

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 "gentle"?
"gentle" is spelled G-E-N-T-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdʒɛntl̩/.
What does "gentle" mean?
As an adjective, "gentle" means: Tender and amiable; of a considerate or kindly disposition.
What words are commonly confused with "gentle"?
"gentle" is commonly confused with "gents", "gently", "gentry". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "gentle"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "gentle" is /ˈdʒɛntl̩/. 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 "gentle"?
From Middle English gentil (“courteous, noble”), from Old French gentil (“high-born, noble”), from Latin gentilis (“of the same family or clan”), from gens (“[Roman] clan”). Doublet of gentile, genteel, and jaunty. 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 “gentle”

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

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