goner

/ˈɡɒnə(ɹ)/

//ˈɡɒnə(ɹ)// noun

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

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

The verdict

“goner” is uncommon English (frequency #56,152 among 18,276 “G” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#56,152
frequency rank, English
18,276
“G” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Someone (or something) doomed; a hopeless case, especially someone who is bound to die soon.

Key facts for goner
PropertyValue
Headwordgoner
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɡɒnə(ɹ)/
Letters5
Frequency rank#56,152
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “goner” sits in English frequency

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

goner is uncommon English at frequency #56,152 among 18,276 “G” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈɡɒnə(ɹ)/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for goner in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. 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: From gone + -er. First attestations around 1850. The correct English form is goner, spelled G-O-N-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    Someone (or something) doomed; a hopeless case, especially someone who is bound to die soon.
  2. 2
    A ball hit out of the playing area for a home run.

Etymology

From gone + -er. First attestations around 1850.

This word in other languages

piltrafa(Español)homme mort(Français)Todgeweihter(Deutsch)perdido(Português)

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 "goner"?
"goner" is spelled G-O-N-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɡɒnə(ɹ)/.
What does "goner" mean?
As a noun, "goner" means: Someone (or something) doomed; a hopeless case, especially someone who is bound to die soon.
How do you pronounce "goner"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "goner" is /ˈɡɒnə(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 "goner"?
From gone + -er. First attestations around 1850. 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.

Using “goner”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is G-O-N-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈɡɒnə(ɹ)/ (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

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list