governess

/ˈɡʌvɚnəs/

//ˈɡʌvɚnəs// noun

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

"governess" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“governess” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #34,084 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#34,084
frequency rank, English
9
letters
12
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A woman paid to educate children in their own home.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

governess vs governs
78% similar
governess vs governed
78% similar

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

Key facts for governess
PropertyValue
Headwordgoverness
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɡʌvɚnəs/
Letters9
Frequency rank#34,084
Misspellings tracked12
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “governess” 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). governess 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 governess is 9 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɡʌvɚnəs/. Corpus data places it at rank #34,084 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 12 likely wrong-spelling variants for governess, with forms such as "ggoverness", "goevrness", and "govenress". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "governs", "governed", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English governesse, a contracted form of governeresse, from Old French governeresse (“female ruler or administrator”). In later senses, equivalent to govern(or) + -ess. The correct English form is governess, spelled G-O-V-E-R-N-E-S-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    A woman paid to educate children in their own home.
  2. 2
    A female governor.
  3. 3
    The wife of a governor.

Etymology

From Middle English governesse, a contracted form of governeresse, from Old French governeresse (“female ruler or administrator”). In later senses, equivalent to govern(or) + -ess.

This word in other languages

institutriz(Español)gouvernante(Français)Hauslehrerin(Deutsch)governanta(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ggoverness,goevrness,govenress,goverenss,governes,governness,governses,goverrness,govreness,govverness,gvoerness,ogverness

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of governess - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

ggoverness1goevrness2govenress2goverenss2governes1governness1governses2goverrness1
Edit distance from "governess"

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 "governess"?
"governess" is spelled G-O-V-E-R-N-E-S-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɡʌvɚnəs/.
What does "governess" mean?
As a noun, "governess" means: A woman paid to educate children in their own home.
What words are commonly confused with "governess"?
"governess" is commonly confused with "governs", "governed". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "governess"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "governess" is /ˈɡʌvɚnəs/. 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 "governess"?
From Middle English governesse, a contracted form of governeresse, from Old French governeresse (“female ruler or administrator”). In later senses, equivalent to govern(or) + -ess. 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 “governess”

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

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