gold digger

/ɡəʊld ˈdɪɡə(ɹ)/

//ɡəʊld ˈdɪɡə(ɹ)// noun

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

The verdict

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

Unranked
below top-frequency English
11
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Someone who digs or mines for gold.

Corpus desk

Index EN-gold-digger · gold digger · English

gold digger · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
  • LEN-MEGA 11 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 gold digger
PropertyValue
Headwordgold digger
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɡəʊld ˈdɪɡə(ɹ)/
Letters11
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “gold digger” in English

gold diggerfalls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

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

Rare enough to double-check

gold digger is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ɡəʊld ˈdɪɡə(ɹ)/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for gold digger, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which tends to mean the word is visually distinctive enough to stand on its own.

Etymologically, the entry records: Literal sense from c. the 1830s; figurative sense (woman who seeks money in a relationship) from 1915. The correct English form is gold digger, spelled G-O-L-D- -D-I-G-G-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Someone who digs or mines for gold.
  2. 2
    A person, especially a woman, who cultivates a personal relationship with someone in order to attain wealth.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

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

  1. If she sends her son for the money she is a gold digger, and if she sends her daughter, she is a gold digger teaching her daughter how to be a gold digger—two offenses for the price of one. Whether it is the misinterpretation of the hustle, recognizing the game, or asking for legitimate funds for child care, the black woman is often seen as a gold digger.

Etymology

Literal sense from c. the 1830s; figurative sense (woman who seeks money in a relationship) from 1915.

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

How do you spell "gold digger"?
"gold digger" is spelled G-O-L-D- -D-I-G-G-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ɡəʊld ˈdɪɡə(ɹ)/.
What does "gold digger" mean?
As a noun, "gold digger" means: Someone who digs or mines for gold.
How do you pronounce "gold digger"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "gold digger" is /ɡəʊld ˈdɪɡə(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 "gold digger"?
Literal sense from c. the 1830s; figurative sense (woman who seeks money in a relationship) from 1915. 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