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 18,276 “G” headwords), classed as a proper noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#82,347
frequency rank, English
18,276
“G” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, United States.

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)

Where “Gowanus” 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). Gowanus lands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

Gowanus is uncommon English at frequency #82,347 among 18,276 “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.

Using “Gowanus”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is G-O-W-A-N-U-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ɡəˈwɑːnəs/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words

Other uncommon English words near this rank

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