# gold

> English word · Noun · IPA /ɡəʊld/ · frequency rank #692

## Definitions
1. A heavy yellow elemental metal of great value, with atomic number 79 and symbol Au.
2. A coin or coinage made of this material, or supposedly so.
3. A deep yellow colour, resembling the metal gold.
4. The bullseye of an archery target.
5. A gold medal.
6. Anything or anyone that is very valuable.
7. A grill (jewellery worn on front teeth) made of gold.

## Etymology
From Middle English gold, from Old English gold (“gold”), from Proto-West Germanic *golþ, from Proto-Germanic *gulþą (“gold”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰl̥h₃tóm (“gold”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰelh₃- (“green, yellow”). Related to yellow; see there for more. Germanic cognates include Dutch goud, German Gold, Norwegian gull, Swedish guld, and cognates from other Indo-European languages include Latvian zelts, Russian зо́лото (zóloto), Persian زرد (zard, “yellow, golden”), Sanskrit हिरण्य (hiraṇya).

## Easily confused with
- **got** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gold-vs-got)
- **GOP** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gold-vs-gop)
- **goo** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gold-vs-goo)
- **gul** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gold-vs-gul)
- **gow** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gold-vs-gow)
- **gor** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gold-vs-gor)
- **good** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gold-vs-good)
- **gone** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gold-vs-gone)
- **golf** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gold-vs-golf)
- **gulf** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gold-vs-gulf)
- **grid** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gold-vs-grid)
- **gosh** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gold-vs-gosh)
- **gore** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gold-vs-gore)
- **gown** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gold-vs-gown)
- **grad** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gold-vs-grad)
- **gong** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gold-vs-gong)
- **goth** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gold-vs-goth)
- **goon** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gold-vs-goon)
- **GOTO** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gold-vs-goto)
- **gout** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gold-vs-gout)

## Common misspellings (6)
`ggold`, `glod`, `godl`, `goldd`, `golld`, `ogld`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/gold