gimmick
/ˈɡɪm.ɪk/noun, verb
gimmick is spelled G-I-M-M-I-C-K: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 1.5 times per million words in written English, the 22,651st most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, gimmick means “A trick or device used to attain some end” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of gimmick is gimmicks.
How many letters and syllables are in gimmick?
| Letters | 7: G-I-M-M-I-C-K |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.5 times per million words; the 22,651st most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is gimmick?
Gimmick appears 1.5 times per million words in written English, the 22,651st most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce gimmick?
- UK /ˈɡɪm.ɪk/
Gimmick has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-gimmick.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of gimmick
- gimmicks plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- gimmicking participle, present
- gimmicked participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does gimmick mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A trick or device used to attain some end.
The box had a gimmick to make the coin appear to vanish.
- 2
A ploy or strategy used to attract attention or gain traction.
The contest was a gimmick to get people to sign up for their mailing list.
- 3
A gimmick capacitor.
- 4
A night out with one's friends.
verb
- 1
To rig or set up with a trick or device.
The magician's box was gimmicked with a wire that made it appear to open on its own.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Gimmick in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | truc, gadget, artifice, mécanisme , subterfuge |
| German | Kniff, Kunstgriff, Trick , Aufhänger, Gag |
| Portuguese | artimanha , estratagema |
| Spanish | artilugio, efectismo |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does gimmick come from?
Unknown. Possibly a rough anagram of magic or from gimme.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).