gossip

/ˈɡɒsɪp/

//ˈɡɒsɪp// noun

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

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

The verdict

“gossip” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #8,547 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#8,547
frequency rank, English
6
letters
7
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Someone who likes to talk about other people's private or personal business.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

gossip vs goss
67% similar

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

Key facts for gossip
PropertyValue
Headwordgossip
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɡɒsɪp/
Letters6
Frequency rank#8,547
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “gossip” 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). gossip 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 gossip is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɡɒsɪp/. Corpus data places it at rank #8,547 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for gossip, with forms such as "ggossip", "gosip", and "gosisp". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "goss", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English godsybbe, godsib (“a close friend or relation, a confidant; a godparent”), from Old English godsibb (“godparent, sponsor”), equivalent to god + sib. Doublet of godsib. For sense evolution to "gossip, discussing others' personal affairs,"… The correct English form is gossip, spelled G-O-S-S-I-P.

Definition

  1. 1
    Someone who likes to talk about other people's private or personal business.
  2. 2
    Idle talk about someone’s private or personal matters, especially about someone not present.
  3. 3
    Idle conversation in general.
  4. 4
    A genre in contemporary media, usually focused on the personal affairs of celebrities.
  5. 5
    Communication done using a gossip protocol.
  6. 6
    A sponsor; a godfather or godmother; the godparent of one's child or godchild, or the parent of one's godchild.
  7. 7
    A familiar acquaintance.
  8. 8
    Title used with the name of one's child's godparent or of a friend.

Etymology

From Middle English godsybbe, godsib (“a close friend or relation, a confidant; a godparent”), from Old English godsibb (“godparent, sponsor”), equivalent to god + sib. Doublet of godsib. For sense evolution to "gossip, discussing others' personal affairs," compare French commérage.

This word in other languages

chismoso(Español)commère(Français)Tratsche(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ggossip,gosip,gosisp,gossipp,gosspi,gsosip,ogssip

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of gossip - 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.

ggossip1gosip1gosisp2gossipp1gosspi2gsosip2ogssip2
Edit distance from "gossip"

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 "gossip"?
"gossip" is spelled G-O-S-S-I-P. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɡɒsɪp/.
What does "gossip" mean?
As a noun, "gossip" means: Someone who likes to talk about other people's private or personal business.
What words are commonly confused with "gossip"?
"gossip" is commonly confused with "goss". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "gossip"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "gossip" is /ˈɡɒsɪp/. 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 "gossip"?
From Middle English godsybbe, godsib (“a close friend or relation, a confidant; a godparent”), from Old English godsibb (“godparent, sponsor”), equivalent to god + sib. Doublet of godsib. For sense evolution to "gossip, discussing others' personal... 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 “gossip”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is G-O-S-S-I-P - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈɡɒsɪp/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “goss” - see the side-by-side comparison. gossip vs goss
  • 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