go pear-shaped
/ɡəʊ ˈpɛəʃeɪpt/
"go-pear-shaped" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“go pear-shaped” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as a verb - the kind of word writers most often double-check.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 14
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To go awry; to go wrong.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | go pear-shaped |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Verb |
| IPA | /ɡəʊ ˈpɛəʃeɪpt/ |
| Letters | 14 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “go pear-shaped” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for go pear-shaped is 14 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɡəʊ ˈpɛəʃeɪpt/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "To go awry; to go wrong.".
go pear-shaped has no tracked misspelling variants, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.
Etymologically, the entry records: Uncertain; the following etymologies have been suggested: * From the image of a solid rectangle “slipping down” into a pear shape, thus “the bottom drops out”. ** Similar thoughts about the work of either glassblowers or potters involve a theme of the work … The correct English form is go pear-shaped, spelled G-O- -P-E-A-R---S-H-A-P-E-D.
Definition
- 1To go awry; to go wrong.
Etymology
Uncertain; the following etymologies have been suggested: * From the image of a solid rectangle “slipping down” into a pear shape, thus “the bottom drops out”. ** Similar thoughts about the work of either glassblowers or potters involve a theme of the work trending toward a sagging shape; such speculations may be only folk etymology. * From the image of a balloon or football losing its spherical shape after being punctured. * From an idea that people who shoulder the work — who have the responsibility on their shoulders — may descend into shirking, in which case their broad shoulders diminish as their body becomes pear-shaped. Apparently the term was originally Royal Air Force slang, but came into common use by the 1990s.
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “go pear-shaped”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is G-O- -P-E-A-R---S-H-A-P-E-D - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ɡəʊ ˈpɛəʃeɪpt/ (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.