golly

/ˈɡɒli/

//ˈɡɒli// intj

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"golly" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“golly” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #41,150. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#41,150
frequency rank, English
2,313
“G” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A mild expression of surprise or enthusiasm.

Corpus desk

Index EN-golly · golly · English

golly · rank #41,150 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #41,150
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,313
  • PHOTO-FINISH GOL

Nearest frequency peer: GOL (-1 rank slots)

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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “golly”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “golly” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

golly vs gull
60% similar
golly vs gory
60% similar
golly vs goofy
60% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for golly
PropertyValue
Headwordgolly
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechInterjection
IPA/ˈɡɒli/
Letters5
Frequency rank#41,150
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “golly”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).gollylands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “GOL” (#41,149), “gonorrhea” (#41,151), “Gopal” (#41,152). Among 2,313 “G” headwords, “golly” is #41,150. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around golly (IPA /ˈɡɒli/), aninterjection. Corpus frequency is #41,150 among 2,313 “G” headwords. Dominant gloss: "A mild expression of surprise or enthusiasm.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for golly, with forms such as "ggolly", "gloly", and "gollyy". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "gull", "gory", "goofy", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: Euphemism for God, dating from the 18th century. Possibly a compaction of “God′s body”. The correct English form is golly, spelled G-O-L-L-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    A mild expression of surprise or enthusiasm.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Golly! That was a long trip to California.
  2. “Golly! What would dad say if I did marry him?”

Etymology

Euphemism for God, dating from the 18th century. Possibly a compaction of “God′s body”.

Synonyms

wow

This word in other languages

caramba(Español)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ggolly
  • gloly
  • gollyy
  • goly
  • golyl
  • oglly

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of golly - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

ggolly1gloly2gollyy1goly1golyl2oglly2
Edit distance from "golly"

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

How do you spell "golly"?
"golly" is spelled G-O-L-L-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɡɒli/.
What does "golly" mean?
As an interjection, "golly" means: A mild expression of surprise or enthusiasm.
What words are commonly confused with "golly"?
"golly" is commonly confused with "gull", "gory", "goofy". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "golly"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "golly" is /ˈɡɒli/. 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 "golly"?
Euphemism for God, dating from the 18th century. Possibly a compaction of “God′s body”. 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "golly", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Gopal#41,152gouge#41,154Geary#41,144folic#41,130

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

gots6 variantsHalley6 variantsDINK6 variantslassie6 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list