google

/ˈɡuː.ɡəl/

//ˈɡuː.ɡəl// verb

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

"google" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“google” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,455 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#1,455
frequency rank, English
6
letters
8
tracked misspellings
10
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To bowl (a cricket ball) so that it performs a googly (“a ball by a leg-break bowler that spins from off to leg (to a right-handed batsman), unlike a normal leg-break delivery”).

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

google vs goose
67% similar
google vs gorge
67% similar
google vs gouge
67% similar

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

Key facts for google
PropertyValue
Headwordgoogle
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈɡuː.ɡəl/
Letters6
Frequency rank#1,455
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs10
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “google” 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). google lands here:

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

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

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for google is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɡuː.ɡəl/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,455 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for google, with forms such as "ggoogle", "gogle", and "gogole". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 10 confusable-pair relationships, "goose", "gorge", "gouge", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Back-formation from googly + -le (frequentative suffix (indicating continuousness or repetition) forming verbs). The correct English form is google, spelled G-O-O-G-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To bowl (a cricket ball) so that it performs a googly (“a ball by a leg-break bowler that spins from off to leg (to a right-handed batsman), unlike a normal leg-break delivery”).
  2. 2
    Of a bowler: to bowl or deliver a googly.
  3. 3
    Of a cricket ball: to move as in a googly.

Etymology

Back-formation from googly + -le (frequentative suffix (indicating continuousness or repetition) forming verbs).

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ggoogle,gogle,gogole,googel,googgle,googlle,goolge,ogogle

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of google - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

ggoogle1gogle1gogole2googel2googgle1googlle1goolge2ogogle2
Edit distance from "google"

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 "google"?
"google" is spelled G-O-O-G-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɡuː.ɡəl/.
What does "google" mean?
As a verb, "google" means: To bowl (a cricket ball) so that it performs a googly (“a ball by a leg-break bowler that spins from off to leg (to a right-handed batsman), unlike a normal leg-break delivery”).
What words are commonly confused with "google"?
"google" is commonly confused with "goose", "gorge", "gouge". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "google"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "google" is /ˈɡuː.ɡəl/. 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 "google"?
Back-formation from googly + -le (frequentative suffix (indicating continuousness or repetition) forming verbs). 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 “google”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is G-O-O-G-L-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈɡuː.ɡəl/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “goose” - see the side-by-side comparison. google vs goose
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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 FrequencyWords open word-frequency list