glimpse

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

/ɡlɪm(p)s/

//ɡlɪm(p)s// verb

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

The verdict

“glimpse” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #9,475 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#9,475
frequency rank, English: 7
letters: 11
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To see or view (someone, or something tangible) briefly and incompletely.

Key facts for glimpse
Property	Value
Headword	glimpse
Language	English
Part of speech	Verb
IPA	/ɡlɪm(p)s/
Letters	7
Frequency rank	#9,475
Misspellings tracked	11
Confusable pairs	0
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “glimpse” 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). glimpse lands here:

#9,475

#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 glimpse is 7 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɡlɪm(p)s/. Corpus data places it at rank #9,475 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 11 likely wrong-spelling variants for glimpse, with forms such as "gglimpse", "gilmpse", and "glimmpse". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: The verb is derived from earlier glimse (obsolete), from Middle English glimsen (“to dazzle; to glisten; to glance with the eyes”), possibly from Old English *glimsian, from Proto-West Germanic *glimmisōjan, from Proto-Germanic *glimō, from Proto-Indo-Europ… The correct English form is glimpse, spelled G-L-I-M-P-S-E.

Definition

1
To see or view (someone, or something tangible) briefly and incompletely.
2
To perceive (something intangible) briefly and incompletely.
3
Chiefly followed by at or upon: to look at briefly and incompletely; to glance.
4
To shine with a faint, unsteady light; to glimmer, to shimmer.
5
To appear or start to appear, especially faintly or unclearly; to dawn.
6
Sometimes followed by out: to provide a brief and incomplete look.

Etymology

The verb is derived from earlier glimse (obsolete), from Middle English glimsen (“to dazzle; to glisten; to glance with the eyes”), possibly from Old English *glimsian, from Proto-West Germanic *glimmisōjan, from Proto-Germanic *glimō, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰley- (“to shine”). Doublet of glimmer. The noun is derived from the verb. Cognates Middle Dutch glinsen (modern Dutch glinsteren (“to glint, glitter, shimmer, sparkle; to glance”), glimmen (“to gleam, shine”)) Middle High German glimsen (“to glow, smoulder”), glinsen (“to glimmer, shine”) Middle Low German glinsen, glintzen, glinzen (“to shimmer, shine”)

This word in other languages

atisbar(Español)entrevoir(Français)entdecken(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: gglimpse,gilmpse,glimmpse,glimpes,glimppse,glimpsse,glimspe,glipmse,gllimpse,glmipse,lgimpse

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of glimpse - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

Edit distance from "glimpse"

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 "glimpse"?

"glimpse" is spelled G-L-I-M-P-S-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɡlɪm(p)s/.

What does "glimpse" mean?

As a verb, "glimpse" means: To see or view (someone, or something tangible) briefly and incompletely.

What are common misspellings of "glimpse"?

Common misspellings include "gglimpse", "gilmpse", "glimmpse", "glimpes", "glimppse". The correct spelling is "glimpse".

How do you pronounce "glimpse"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "glimpse" is /ɡlɪm(p)s/. 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 "glimpse"?

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 “glimpse”

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

The one correct English spelling is G-L-I-M-P-S-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /ɡlɪm(p)s/ (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

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.