gnome
/ˈnəʊ̯m/
"gnome" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“gnome” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #22,391 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #22,391
- frequency rank, English
- 5
- letters
- 7
- tracked misspellings
- 13
- confusable pairs
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An elemental (spirit or corporeal creature associated with a classical element) associated with earth.
Visual similarity to commonly confused words
How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).
Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | gnome |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈnəʊ̯m/ |
| Letters | 5 |
| Frequency rank | #22,391 |
| Misspellings tracked | 7 |
| Confusable pairs | 13 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “gnome” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for gnome is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈnəʊ̯m/. Corpus data places it at rank #22,391 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 7 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 gnome, with forms such as "ggnome", "gnmoe", and "gnnome". 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 13 confusable-pair relationships, "gone", "gore", "gove", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.
Etymologically, the entry records: From French gnome (“gnome”), from New Latin gnomus, used by Paracelsus as a synonym for pygmaeus (“pygmy”). The correct English form is gnome, spelled G-N-O-M-E.
Definition
- 1An elemental (spirit or corporeal creature associated with a classical element) associated with earth.
- 2One of a race of imaginary human-like beings, usually depicted as short and typically bearded males, who inhabit the inner parts of the earth and act as guardians of mines, mineral treasure, etc.; in modern fantasy literature and games, when distinguished from dwarves, gnomes are usually smaller than dwarves and more focused on engineering than mining.
- 3A person of a small stature or misshapen features, or of a strange appearance.
- 4The mountain pygmy owl, Glaucidium gnoma, a small owl of the western United States.
- 5A small statue of a dwarf-like character, often bearded, placed in a garden.
- 6An upper atmospheric optical phenomenon associated with thunderstorms, a compact blue starter.
- 7A banker, especially a secretive international one.
Etymology
From French gnome (“gnome”), from New Latin gnomus, used by Paracelsus as a synonym for pygmaeus (“pygmy”).
This word in other languages
Common misspellings
Also misspelled as: ggnome,gnmoe,gnnome,gnoem,gnomme,gonme,ngome
Misspelling Pattern Breakdown
How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of gnome - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.
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
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Using “gnome”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is G-N-O-M-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈnəʊ̯m/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- Don't mix it up with “gone” - see the side-by-side comparison. gnome vs gone
- 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.