glut

/ɡlʌt/

//ɡlʌt// noun

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

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

The verdict

“glut” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #36,583 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#36,583
frequency rank, English
4
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An excess, too much.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

glut vs GU
0% similar
glut vs got
50% similar
glut vs guy
50% similar

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

Key facts for glut
PropertyValue
Headwordglut
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɡlʌt/
Letters4
Frequency rank#36,583
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “glut” 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). glut 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 glut is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɡlʌt/. Corpus data places it at rank #36,583 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 10 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 glut, with forms such as "gglut", "gllut", and "gltu". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "GU", "got", "guy", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Inherited from Middle English glotien /glotten, probably derived from Old French gloter /glotir /glotoiier (“to eat greedily”) [compare French engloutir (“to devour”), French glouton (“glutton”)], derived from Latin gluttiō, gluttīre (“to swallow”). Compare… The correct English form is glut, spelled G-L-U-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    An excess, too much.
  2. 2
    That which is swallowed.
  3. 3
    Something that fills up an opening.
  4. 4
    A wooden wedge used in splitting blocks.
  5. 5
    A piece of wood used to fill up behind cribbing or tubbing.
  6. 6
    A bat, or small piece of brick, used to fill out a course.
  7. 7
    An arched opening to the ashpit of a kiln.
  8. 8
    A block used for a fulcrum.
  9. 9
    The broad-nosed eel (Anguilla anguilla, syn. Anguilla latirostris), found in Europe, Asia, the West Indies, etc.
  10. 10
    Five goals scored by one player in a game.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English glotien /glotten, probably derived from Old French gloter /glotir /glotoiier (“to eat greedily”) [compare French engloutir (“to devour”), French glouton (“glutton”)], derived from Latin gluttiō, gluttīre (“to swallow”). Compare Russian глота́ть (glotátʹ, “to swallow”).

This word in other languages

Schwemme(Deutsch)excesso(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: gglut,gllut,gltu,glutt,gult,lgut

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

gglut1gllut1gltu2glutt1gult2lgut2
Edit distance from "glut"

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 "glut"?
"glut" is spelled G-L-U-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ɡlʌt/.
What does "glut" mean?
As a noun, "glut" means: An excess, too much.
What words are commonly confused with "glut"?
"glut" is commonly confused with "GU", "got", "guy". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "glut"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "glut" is /ɡlʌt/. 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 "glut"?
Inherited from Middle English glotien /glotten, probably derived from Old French gloter /glotir /glotoiier (“to eat greedily”) [compare French engloutir (“to devour”), French glouton (“glutton”)], derived from Latin gluttiō, gluttīre (“to swallow”... 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 “glut”

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

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