gesture

Name: gesture, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/ˈd͡ʒɛs.t͡ʃə/

//ˈd͡ʒɛs.t͡ʃə// noun

By PlainSpell · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

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: 18,276
“G” headwords: 10
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A motion of the limbs or body, especially one made to emphasize speech.

Key facts for gesture
Property	Value
Headword	gesture
Language	English
Part of speech	Noun
IPA	/ˈd͡ʒɛs.t͡ʃə/
Letters	7
Frequency rank	#8,291
Misspellings tracked	10
Confusable pairs	0
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “gesture” 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). gesture lands here:

#8,291

#1#100#1K#10K#100K

← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). 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 18,276 “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
A motion of the limbs or body, especially one made to emphasize speech.
2
An act or a remark that serves as a formality or as a sign of attitude.
3
A motion made with a pointing device, or on a touchscreen, that is recognised by the system as a command.
4
The manner of carrying the body; position of the body or limbs; posture.

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.

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.

Using “gesture”

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

The one correct English spelling is G-E-S-T-U-R-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /ˈd͡ʒɛs.t͡ʃə/ (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

Same frequency band

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.