gesso

/ˈd͡ʒɛsəʊ/

//ˈd͡ʒɛsəʊ// noun

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

"gesso" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“gesso” is uncommon English (frequency #97,062 among 18,276 “G” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#97,062
frequency rank, English
18,276
“G” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A mixture of plaster of Paris and glue used to prepare a surface for painting.

Key facts for gesso
PropertyValue
Headwordgesso
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈd͡ʒɛsəʊ/
Letters5
Frequency rank#97,062
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “gesso” 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). gesso lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

gesso is uncommon English at frequency #97,062 among 18,276 “G” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈd͡ʒɛsəʊ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for gesso in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from Italian gesso. Doublet of gypsum. Compare Portuguese gesso (“gypsum; plaster, cast”) and Spanish yeso (“gypsum; plaster, cast”). The correct English form is gesso, spelled G-E-S-S-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    A mixture of plaster of Paris and glue used to prepare a surface for painting.
  2. 2
    A work of art done in gesso.

Etymology

Borrowed from Italian gesso. Doublet of gypsum. Compare Portuguese gesso (“gypsum; plaster, cast”) and Spanish yeso (“gypsum; plaster, cast”).

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 "gesso"?
"gesso" is spelled G-E-S-S-O. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈd͡ʒɛsəʊ/.
What does "gesso" mean?
As a noun, "gesso" means: A mixture of plaster of Paris and glue used to prepare a surface for painting.
How do you pronounce "gesso"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "gesso" is /ˈd͡ʒɛsəʊ/. 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 "gesso"?
Borrowed from Italian gesso. Doublet of gypsum. Compare Portuguese gesso (“gypsum; plaster, cast”) and Spanish yeso (“gypsum; plaster, cast”). 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 “gesso”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is G-E-S-S-O - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈd͡ʒɛsəʊ/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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