gesture

/ˈd͡ʒɛs.t͡ʃə/

//ˈd͡ʒɛs.t͡ʃə// noun

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

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

The verdict

“gesture” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #8,291. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#8,291
frequency rank, English
2,313
“G” headwords
10
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A motion of the limbs or body, especially one made to emphasize speech.

Corpus desk

Index EN-gesture · gesture · English

gesture · rank #8,291 · 10 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #8,291
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,313
  • PHOTO-FINISH fucks

Nearest frequency peer: fucks (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “gesture”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “gesture” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for gesture
PropertyValue
Headwordgesture
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈd͡ʒɛs.t͡ʃə/
Letters7
Frequency rank#8,291
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “gesture”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).gesturelands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “fucks” (#8,290), “Ghana” (#8,292), “framed” (#8,289). Among 2,313 “G” headwords, “gesture” is #8,291. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around gesture (IPA /ˈd͡ʒɛs.t͡ʃə/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #8,291 among 2,313 “G” headwords. Wiktionary lists 4 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for gesture, with forms such as "egsture", "gessture", and "gestrue". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Medieval Latin gestūra (“a mode of action”), from Latin gerō (“to bear; (reflexive) bear oneself, behave, act”), past participle gestus. The correct English form is gesture, spelled G-E-S-T-U-R-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A motion of the limbs or body, especially one made to emphasize speech.
  2. 2
    An act or a remark that serves as a formality or as a sign of attitude.
  3. 3
    A motion made with a pointing device, or on a touchscreen, that is recognised by the system as a command.
  4. 4
    The manner of carrying the body; position of the body or limbs; posture.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The middle-finger gesture is really a nonverbal swear.
  2. Grace was in all her steps, heaven in her eye, / In every gesture dignity and love.

Etymology

From Medieval Latin gestūra (“a mode of action”), from Latin gerō (“to bear; (reflexive) bear oneself, behave, act”), past participle gestus.

This word in other languages

gesto(Español)geste(Français)Geste(Deutsch)gesto(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • egsture
  • gessture
  • gestrue
  • gestture
  • gestuer
  • gesturre
  • gesutre
  • getsure
  • ggesture
  • gseture

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

egsture2gessture1gestrue2gestture1gestuer2gesturre1gesutre2getsure2
Edit distance from "gesture"

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 "gesture"?
"gesture" is spelled G-E-S-T-U-R-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈd͡ʒɛs.t͡ʃə/.
What does "gesture" mean?
As a noun, "gesture" means: A motion of the limbs or body, especially one made to emphasize speech.
What are common misspellings of "gesture"?
Common misspellings include "egsture", "gessture", "gestrue", "gestture", "gestuer". The correct spelling is "gesture".
How do you pronounce "gesture"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "gesture" is /ˈd͡ʒɛs.t͡ʃə/. 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 "gesture"?
From Medieval Latin gestūra (“a mode of action”), from Latin gerō (“to bear; (reflexive) bear oneself, behave, act”), past participle gestus. 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 "gesture", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Gilbert#8,295griffin#8,297hostage#8,301hottest#8,302

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

cracks10 variantscleaner10 variantscheated10 variantsbrigade10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list