gobstopper

/ˈɡɒbˌstɒp.ə(ɹ)/

//ˈɡɒbˌstɒp.ə(ɹ)// noun

"gobstopper" is a 10-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“gobstopper” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
10
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A type of hard long-lasting candy, usually spherical in shape.

Corpus desk

Index EN-gobstopper · gobstopper · English

gobstopper · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-THIN "G" thin
  • PHOTO-UNK Peer pending

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.

Key facts for gobstopper
PropertyValue
Headwordgobstopper
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɡɒbˌstɒp.ə(ɹ)/
Letters10
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “gobstopper” in English

gobstoppersits beyond the 100,000 most-frequent English words, in the long tail of technical, archaic, or otherwise rare vocabulary where spelling doubt tends to strike hardest.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

gobstopper is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈɡɒbˌstɒp.ə(ɹ)/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A type of hard long-lasting candy, usually spherical in shape.".

No misspelling variants are generated for gobstopper in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: Compound of gob (“mouth”) + stopper. The correct English form is gobstopper, spelled G-O-B-S-T-O-P-P-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A type of hard long-lasting candy, usually spherical in shape.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. “Everlasting Gobstoppers!”’ cried Mr. Wonka proudly. “They're completely new! I am inventing them for children who are given very little pocket money. You can put an Everlasting Gobstopper in your mouth and you can suck it and suck it and suck it and suck it and suck it and it will never get any smaller!”
  2. Hence, gobstopper—something that stops the mouth. If you want to stop someone from prattling on, simply stuff a gobstopper in his or her mouth. The Everlasting Gobstopper, a jawbreaker that changes colors and flavors, was the brainchild of Roald Dahl in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in 1964.

Etymology

Compound of gob (“mouth”) + stopper.

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

How do you spell "gobstopper"?
"gobstopper" is spelled G-O-B-S-T-O-P-P-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɡɒbˌstɒp.ə(ɹ)/.
What does "gobstopper" mean?
As a noun, "gobstopper" means: A type of hard long-lasting candy, usually spherical in shape.
How do you pronounce "gobstopper"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "gobstopper" is /ˈɡɒbˌstɒp.ə(ɹ)/. 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 "gobstopper"?
Compound of gob (“mouth”) + stopper. 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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list