gerrymander

/ˈdʒɛ.ɹiˌmæn.də/

//ˈdʒɛ.ɹiˌmæn.də// verb

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

"gerrymander" is a 11-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“gerrymander” is uncommon English (frequency #88,377 among 2,313 “G” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#88,377
frequency rank, English
2,313
“G” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To divide a geographic area into voting districts in such a way as to give an unfair advantage to one party in an election.

Corpus desk

Index EN-gerrymander · gerrymander · English

gerrymander · rank #88,377 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #88,377
  • LEN-MEGA 11 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,313
  • PHOTO-FINISH geode

Nearest frequency peer: geode (-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 “gerrymander”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for gerrymander
PropertyValue
Headwordgerrymander
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈdʒɛ.ɹiˌmæn.də/
Letters11
Frequency rank#88,377
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “gerrymander” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).gerrymanderfalls in this rarity band:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “geode” (#88,376), “Geisel” (#88,374), “giftedness” (#88,380). Among 2,313 “G” headwords, “gerrymander” is #88,377. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

gerrymander is uncommon English at frequency #88,377 among 2,313 “G” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ˈdʒɛ.ɹiˌmæn.də/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 4 senses are on record.

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for gerrymander, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: Blend of Gerry + salamander, named after Elbridge Gerry, then governor of Massachusetts. Coined by the editors of the Boston Gazette in an 26 March 1812 article comparing the new electoral district boundary signed into law by Gerry to the shape of the mytho… The correct English form is gerrymander, spelled G-E-R-R-Y-M-A-N-D-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    To divide a geographic area into voting districts in such a way as to give an unfair advantage to one party in an election.
  2. 2
    To draw dividing lines for other types of districts in an unintuitive way to favor a particular group or for other perceived gain.
  3. 3
    To change the franchise or voting system in such a way as to give an unfair advantage to one party in an election.
  4. 4
    To deliberately bring in voters of one's own party or displace voters of another party from a voting district in such a way as to give an unfair advantage to one party in an election.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. [Will] O’Neill isn’t necessarily wrong. Democrats readily concede that they are betraying principles of good governance in trying to gerrymander California.
  2. The superintendent helped gerrymander the school district lines in order to keep the children of the wealthy gated community in the better school all the way across town.

Etymology

Blend of Gerry + salamander, named after Elbridge Gerry, then governor of Massachusetts. Coined by the editors of the Boston Gazette in an 26 March 1812 article comparing the new electoral district boundary signed into law by Gerry to the shape of the mythological salamander. The original text was likely written by Nathan Hale and Benjamin and John Russell, accompanying a cartoon by Elkanah Tisdale. Despite Gerry's surname beginning with a hard G (/ɡ/), gerrymander is typically pronounced with a soft G (/dʒ/), as a spelling pronunciation.

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 "gerrymander"?
"gerrymander" is spelled G-E-R-R-Y-M-A-N-D-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdʒɛ.ɹiˌmæn.də/.
What does "gerrymander" mean?
As a verb, "gerrymander" means: To divide a geographic area into voting districts in such a way as to give an unfair advantage to one party in an election.
How do you pronounce "gerrymander"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "gerrymander" is /ˈdʒɛ.ɹiˌmæn.də/. 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 "gerrymander"?
Blend of Gerry + salamander, named after Elbridge Gerry, then governor of Massachusetts. Coined by the editors of the Boston Gazette in an 26 March 1812 article comparing the new electoral district boundary signed into law by Gerry to the shape of... 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 "gerrymander", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 11 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

freeloading#88,354fluoridated#88,347headbanging#88,416immortalize#88,454

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list