gift

/ɡɪft/

//ɡɪft// noun

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

"gift" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“gift” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,721 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#1,721
frequency rank, English
4
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Something given to another voluntarily, without charge.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

gift vs got
50% similar
gift vs gut
50% similar
gift vs gig
50% similar

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

Key facts for gift
PropertyValue
Headwordgift
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɡɪft/
Letters4
Frequency rank#1,721
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “gift” 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). gift 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 gift is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɡɪft/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,721 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for gift, with forms such as "gfit", "ggift", and "gifft". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "got", "gut", "gig", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English gift (also yift, yifte, ȝift, ȝeft), partly from Old English ġift (“giving, consideration, dowry, wedding”) and Old Norse gipt (“gift, present, wedding”); both from Proto-Germanic *giftiz (“gift”). Equivalent to give + -t (etymologically… The correct English form is gift, spelled G-I-F-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    Something given to another voluntarily, without charge.
  2. 2
    A talent or natural ability.
  3. 3
    Something gained incidentally, without effort.
  4. 4
    The act, right, or power of giving or bestowing.

Etymology

From Middle English gift (also yift, yifte, ȝift, ȝeft), partly from Old English ġift (“giving, consideration, dowry, wedding”) and Old Norse gipt (“gift, present, wedding”); both from Proto-Germanic *giftiz (“gift”). Equivalent to give + -t (etymologically yive + -t). Cognate with West Frisian jefte (“gift”), Saterland Frisian Gift (“gift”), German Low German Gift (“poison”), Dutch gift (“gift”) and its doublet gif (“poison”), German Gift (“poison”), Danish gift (“gift (obsolete); poison, venom”), Swedish gift (“gift, poison, venom”), Icelandic gift (“gift”). Doublet of yift. Distantly related to English habit, from Latin habitus.

Synonyms

gift For beneficial actionsfavorabilityaptitudeknacktalentstrengthbenefactionboonconcessiondonativefairinggiftgrantpresenttithing

This word in other languages

regalo(Español)présent(Français)Geschenk(Deutsch)presente(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: gfit,ggift,gifft,giftt,gitf,igft

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of gift - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

gfit2ggift1gifft1giftt1gitf2igft2
Edit distance from "gift"

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 "gift"?
"gift" is spelled G-I-F-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ɡɪft/.
What does "gift" mean?
As a noun, "gift" means: Something given to another voluntarily, without charge.
What words are commonly confused with "gift"?
"gift" is commonly confused with "got", "gut", "gig". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "gift"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "gift" is /ɡɪft/. 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 "gift"?
From Middle English gift (also yift, yifte, ȝift, ȝeft), partly from Old English ġift (“giving, consideration, dowry, wedding”) and Old Norse gipt (“gift, present, wedding”); both from Proto-Germanic *giftiz (“gift”). Equivalent to give + -t (etym... 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 “gift”

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

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