gneiss

/ˈnaɪs/

//ˈnaɪs// noun

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

"gneiss" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“gneiss” is uncommon English (frequency #64,405 among 2,313 “G” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#64,405
frequency rank, English
2,313
“G” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A common and widely-distributed metamorphic rock having bands or veins, but not schistose.

Corpus desk

Index EN-gneiss · gneiss · English

gneiss · rank #64,405 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #64,405
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,313
  • PHOTO-FINISH glucosamine

Nearest frequency peer: glucosamine (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “gneiss”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “gneiss” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for gneiss
PropertyValue
Headwordgneiss
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈnaɪs/
Letters6
Frequency rank#64,405
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “gneiss” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).gneissfalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “glucosamine” (#64,404), “glucocorticoid” (#64,403), “GOMER” (#64,407). Among 2,313 “G” headwords, “gneiss” is #64,405. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

gneiss is uncommon English at frequency #64,405 among 2,313 “G” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈnaɪs/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A common and widely-distributed metamorphic rock having bands or veins, but not schistose.".

No misspelling variants are generated for gneiss in our index, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From German Gneis, from Middle High German gneist (“spark”), from Old High German gneisto (“spark”). More at gnast. The correct English form is gneiss, spelled G-N-E-I-S-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    A common and widely-distributed metamorphic rock having bands or veins, but not schistose.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how gneiss appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. The old towns along the route are as solidly built from the gneiss of the region as you might expect.

Etymology

From German Gneis, from Middle High German gneist (“spark”), from Old High German gneisto (“spark”). More at gnast.

This word in other languages

gneis(Español)gneiss(Français)Gneis(Deutsch)

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 "gneiss"?
"gneiss" is spelled G-N-E-I-S-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈnaɪs/.
What does "gneiss" mean?
As a noun, "gneiss" means: A common and widely-distributed metamorphic rock having bands or veins, but not schistose.
How do you pronounce "gneiss"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "gneiss" is /ˈnaɪs/. 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 "gneiss"?
From German Gneis, from Middle High German gneist (“spark”), from Old High German gneisto (“spark”). More at gnast. 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "gneiss", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Gilson#64,402goofed#64,408Gertie#64,399harmer#64,417

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list