gloom

/ɡluːm/

//ɡluːm// noun

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

"gloom" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“gloom” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #19,352 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#19,352
frequency rank, English
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Darkness, dimness, or obscurity.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

gloom vs goo
60% similar
gloom vs good
60% similar
gloom vs glow
60% similar

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

Key facts for gloom
PropertyValue
Headwordgloom
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɡluːm/
Letters5
Frequency rank#19,352
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “gloom” 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). gloom 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 gloom is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɡluːm/. Corpus data places it at rank #19,352 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for gloom, with forms such as "ggloom", "glloom", and "glom". 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, "goo", "good", "glow", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English *gloom, *glom, from Old English glōm (“gloaming, twilight, darkness”), from Proto-West Germanic *glōm, from Proto-Germanic *glōmaz (“gleam, shimmer, sheen”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰley- (“to gleam, shimmer, glow”). The English word … The correct English form is gloom, spelled G-L-O-O-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    Darkness, dimness, or obscurity.
  2. 2
    A depressing, despondent, or melancholic atmosphere.
  3. 3
    Cloudiness or heaviness of mind; melancholy; aspect of sorrow; low spirits; dullness.
  4. 4
    A drying oven used in gunpowder manufacture.

Etymology

From Middle English *gloom, *glom, from Old English glōm (“gloaming, twilight, darkness”), from Proto-West Germanic *glōm, from Proto-Germanic *glōmaz (“gleam, shimmer, sheen”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰley- (“to gleam, shimmer, glow”). The English word is cognate with Norwegian glom (“transparent membrane”), Scots gloam (“twilight; faint light; dull gleam”).

This word in other languages

penumbra(Español)obscurité(Français)Düsternis(Deutsch)trevas(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ggloom,glloom,glom,glomo,gloomm,golom,lgoom

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ggloom1glloom1glom1glomo2gloomm1golom2lgoom2
Edit distance from "gloom"

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 "gloom"?
"gloom" is spelled G-L-O-O-M. The IPA pronunciation is /ɡluːm/.
What does "gloom" mean?
As a noun, "gloom" means: Darkness, dimness, or obscurity.
What words are commonly confused with "gloom"?
"gloom" is commonly confused with "goo", "good", "glow". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "gloom"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "gloom" is /ɡluːm/. 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 "gloom"?
From Middle English *gloom, *glom, from Old English glōm (“gloaming, twilight, darkness”), from Proto-West Germanic *glōm, from Proto-Germanic *glōmaz (“gleam, shimmer, sheen”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰley- (“to gleam, shimmer, glow”). The Eng... 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 “gloom”

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

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