gourd

/ɡʊəd/

//ɡʊəd// noun

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

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

The verdict

“gourd” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #36,161 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#36,161
frequency rank, English
5
letters
7
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Any of the trailing or climbing vines producing fruit with a hard rind or shell, from the genera Lagenaria and Cucurbita (in Cucurbitaceae).

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

gourd vs guru
60% similar
gourd vs gout
60% similar
gourd vs gurl
60% similar

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

Key facts for gourd
PropertyValue
Headwordgourd
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɡʊəd/
Letters5
Frequency rank#36,161
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “gourd” 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). gourd 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 gourd is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɡʊəd/. Corpus data places it at rank #36,161 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 6 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 gourd, with forms such as "ggourd", "gorud", and "goudr". 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, "guru", "gout", "gurl", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English gourde, from Anglo-Norman gurde, gourde, from Latin cucurbita. Doublet of cucurbit. The correct English form is gourd, spelled G-O-U-R-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any of the trailing or climbing vines producing fruit with a hard rind or shell, from the genera Lagenaria and Cucurbita (in Cucurbitaceae).
  2. 2
    A hard-shelled fruit from a plant in Lagenaria or Cucurbita.
  3. 3
    The dried and hardened shell of such fruit, made into a drinking vessel, bowl, spoon, or other objects designed for use or decoration.
  4. 4
    Any of the climbing or trailing plants from the family Cucurbitaceae, which includes watermelon, pumpkins, and cucumbers.
  5. 5
    Loaded dice.
  6. 6
    A person's head.

Etymology

From Middle English gourde, from Anglo-Norman gurde, gourde, from Latin cucurbita. Doublet of cucurbit.

This word in other languages

güiro(Español)calebasse(Français)Flaschenkürbis(Deutsch)cabaceira(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ggourd,gorud,goudr,gourdd,gourrd,guord,ogurd

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ggourd1gorud2goudr2gourdd1gourrd1guord2ogurd2
Edit distance from "gourd"

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 "gourd"?
"gourd" is spelled G-O-U-R-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ɡʊəd/.
What does "gourd" mean?
As a noun, "gourd" means: Any of the trailing or climbing vines producing fruit with a hard rind or shell, from the genera Lagenaria and Cucurbita (in Cucurbitaceae).
What words are commonly confused with "gourd"?
"gourd" is commonly confused with "guru", "gout", "gurl". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "gourd"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "gourd" is /ɡʊəd/. 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 "gourd"?
From Middle English gourde, from Anglo-Norman gurde, gourde, from Latin cucurbita. Doublet of cucurbit. 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 “gourd”

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

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