gooseberry

/ˈɡusˌbɛɹi/

//ˈɡusˌbɛɹi// noun

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

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

The verdict

“gooseberry” is uncommon English (frequency #51,143 among 2,313 “G” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#51,143
frequency rank, English
2,313
“G” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A fruit of species Ribes uva-crispa, related to the currant.

Corpus desk

Index EN-gooseberry · gooseberry · English

gooseberry · rank #51,143 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #51,143
  • LEN-MEGA 10 letters
  • VOW-5 5 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,313
  • PHOTO-FINISH Graz

Nearest frequency peer: Graz (+2 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.

Long-tail ranks near “gooseberry”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “gooseberry” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for gooseberry
PropertyValue
Headwordgooseberry
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɡusˌbɛɹi/
Letters10
Frequency rank#51,143
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “gooseberry” in English

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

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “Graz” (#51,145), “godliness” (#51,140), “gobsmacked” (#51,139). Among 2,313 “G” headwords, “gooseberry” is #51,143. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

gooseberry is uncommon English at frequency #51,143 among 2,313 “G” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈɡusˌbɛɹi/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 18 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for gooseberry, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From goose + berry. It is possible that the first element was originally something related to the gros- of French groseille and/or the kruis- of Dutch kruisbes but has been altered by folk etymology. The correct English form is gooseberry, spelled G-O-O-S-E-B-E-R-R-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    A fruit of species Ribes uva-crispa, related to the currant.
  2. 2
    Any other plant or fruit in the subgenus Grossularia, distinguished from currants by bearing spines, including Ribes hirtellum (American gooseberry).
  3. 3
    Any of several other plants that are not closely related but bear fruit in some way similar:
  4. 4
    Any of several other plants that are not closely related but bear fruit in some way similar:
  5. 5
    Any of several other plants that are not closely related but bear fruit in some way similar:
  6. 6
    Any of several other plants that are not closely related but bear fruit in some way similar:
  7. 7
    Any of several other plants that are not closely related but bear fruit in some way similar:
  8. 8
    Any of several other plants that are not closely related but bear fruit in some way similar:
  9. 9
    Any of several other plants that are not closely related but bear fruit in some way similar:
  10. 10
    Any of several other plants that are not closely related but bear fruit in some way similar:
  11. 11
    Any of several other plants that are not closely related but bear fruit in some way similar:
  12. 12
    Any of several other plants that are not closely related but bear fruit in some way similar:
  13. 13
    Any of several other plants that are not closely related but bear fruit in some way similar:
  14. 14
    A chaperone.
  15. 15
    An additional person who is neither necessary nor wanted in a given situation.
  16. 16
    A fool.
  17. 17
    A fantastic story; a tall tale; a hoax.
  18. 18
    A testicle.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. We had a good haul of gooseberries from our bushes this year.
  2. Robert and Susan were so in love with each other that nobody could go near them without feeling like a gooseberry.

Etymology

From goose + berry. It is possible that the first element was originally something related to the gros- of French groseille and/or the kruis- of Dutch kruisbes but has been altered by folk etymology.

This word in other languages

carabina(Español)groseille à maquereau(Français)Stachelbeere(Deutsch)groselha(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 "gooseberry"?
"gooseberry" is spelled G-O-O-S-E-B-E-R-R-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɡusˌbɛɹi/.
What does "gooseberry" mean?
As a noun, "gooseberry" means: A fruit of species Ribes uva-crispa, related to the currant.
How do you pronounce "gooseberry"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "gooseberry" is /ˈɡusˌbɛɹi/. 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 "gooseberry"?
From goose + berry. It is possible that the first element was originally something related to the gros- of French groseille and/or the kruis- of Dutch kruisbes but has been altered by folk etymology. 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 "gooseberry", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 10 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

gobsmacked#51,139gelatinous#51,134Flintshire#51,118hypersonic#51,169

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list