governmental

/ˌɡʌv(ə)nˈmɛnt(ə)l/

//ˌɡʌv(ə)nˈmɛnt(ə)l// adj

"governmental" is a 12-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“governmental” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #8,937 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#8,937
frequency rank, English
12
letters
19
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Relating to a government.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

governmental vs governments
83% similar
governmental vs government
83% similar

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

Key facts for governmental
PropertyValue
Headwordgovernmental
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˌɡʌv(ə)nˈmɛnt(ə)l/
Letters12
Frequency rank#8,937
Misspellings tracked19
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “governmental” 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). governmental 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 governmental is 12 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˌɡʌv(ə)nˈmɛnt(ə)l/. Corpus data places it at rank #8,937 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 19 likely wrong-spelling variants for governmental, with forms such as "ggovernmental", "goevrnmental", and "govenrmental". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "governments", "government", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From government + -al. The correct English form is governmental, spelled G-O-V-E-R-N-M-E-N-T-A-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Relating to a government.
  2. 2
    Relating to governing.

Etymology

From government + -al.

Antonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ggovernmental,goevrnmental,govenrmental,govermnental,governemntal,governmenatl,governmenntal,governmentall,governmentla,governmenttal,governmetnal,governmmental,governmnetal,governnmental,goverrnmental,govrenmental,govvernmental,gvoernmental,ogvernmental

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ggovernmental1goevrnmental2govenrmental2govermnental2governemntal2governmenatl2governmenntal1governmentall1
Edit distance from "governmental"

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 "governmental"?
"governmental" is spelled G-O-V-E-R-N-M-E-N-T-A-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˌɡʌv(ə)nˈmɛnt(ə)l/.
What does "governmental" mean?
As an adjective, "governmental" means: Relating to a government.
What words are commonly confused with "governmental"?
"governmental" is commonly confused with "governments", "government". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "governmental"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "governmental" is /ˌɡʌv(ə)nˈmɛnt(ə)l/. 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 "governmental"?
From government + -al. 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 “governmental”

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

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