Gowanus

/ɡəˈwɑːnəs/

//ɡəˈwɑːnəs// name

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

"gowanus" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“Gowanus” is uncommon English (frequency #82,347 among 2,313 “G” headwords), classed as a proper noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#82,347
frequency rank, English
2,313
“G” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, United States.

Corpus desk

Index EN-gowanus · Gowanus · English

Gowanus · rank #82,347 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #82,347
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,313
  • PHOTO-FINISH Graber

Nearest frequency peer: Graber (+1 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 “Gowanus”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for Gowanus
PropertyValue
HeadwordGowanus
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ɡəˈwɑːnəs/
Letters7
Frequency rank#82,347
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “Gowanus” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).Gowanusfalls in this rarity band:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “Graber” (#82,348), “gose” (#82,345), “grazer” (#82,351). Among 2,313 “G” headwords, “Gowanus” is #82,347. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

Gowanus is uncommon English at frequency #82,347 among 2,313 “G” headwords, classed as aproper noun, transcribed /ɡəˈwɑːnəs/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, United States.".

Zero misspellings are on record for Gowanus in our index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.

Etymologically, the entry records: Named after Gauwane (Gouwane, lit. "the sleeper"), a Canarsee Indian. The correct English form is Gowanus, spelled G-O-W-A-N-U-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    A neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, United States.

Etymology

Named after Gauwane (Gouwane, lit. "the sleeper"), a Canarsee Indian.

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 "Gowanus"?
"Gowanus" is spelled G-O-W-A-N-U-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ɡəˈwɑːnəs/.
What does "Gowanus" mean?
As a proper noun, "Gowanus" means: A neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, United States.
How do you pronounce "Gowanus"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Gowanus" is /ɡəˈwɑːnəs/. 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 "Gowanus"?
Named after Gauwane (Gouwane, lit. "the sleeper"), a Canarsee Indian. 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 "Gowanus", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

greaser#82,352Gohmert#82,341Guillen#82,356gumshoe#82,358

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list