grammar

/ˈɡɹæm.ə(ɹ)/

//ˈɡɹæm.ə(ɹ)// noun

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

The verdict

“grammar” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #5,420 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#5,420
frequency rank, English
7
letters
9
tracked misspellings
3
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A system of rules and principles for the structure of a language, or of languages in general.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

grammar vs Grammy
57% similar
grammar vs Grammer
71% similar
grammar vs gamma
71% similar

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

Key facts for grammar
PropertyValue
Headwordgrammar
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɡɹæm.ə(ɹ)/
Letters7
Frequency rank#5,420
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs3
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “grammar” 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). grammar 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 grammar is 7 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɡɹæm.ə(ɹ)/. Corpus data places it at rank #5,420 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 10 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for grammar, with forms such as "garmmar", "ggrammar", and "gramamr". 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 3 confusable-pair relationships, "Grammy", "Grammer", "gamma", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English gramere, from Old French gramaire (“classical learning”), from unattested Vulgar Latin *grammāria, an alteration of Latin grammatica, from Ancient Greek γραμματική (grammatikḗ, “skilled in writing”), from γράμμα (grámma, “line of writing… The correct English form is grammar, spelled G-R-A-M-M-A-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    A system of rules and principles for the structure of a language, or of languages in general.
  2. 2
    A system of rules and principles for the structure of a language, or of languages in general.
  3. 3
    Actual or presumed prescriptive notions about the correct use of a language.
  4. 4
    A book describing the grammar (noun sense 1 or noun sense 2) of a language.
  5. 5
    A formal system specifying the syntax of a language.
  6. 6
    A formal system defining a formal language.
  7. 7
    The basic rules or principles of a field of knowledge or a particular skill.
  8. 8
    A book describing these rules or principles; a textbook.
  9. 9
    Ellipsis of grammar school.
  10. 10
    A set of component patterns, along with the rules for connecting them, which can be combined to form more complex patterns such as large still lifes, oscillators, and spaceships.

Etymology

From Middle English gramere, from Old French gramaire (“classical learning”), from unattested Vulgar Latin *grammāria, an alteration of Latin grammatica, from Ancient Greek γραμματική (grammatikḗ, “skilled in writing”), from γράμμα (grámma, “line of writing”), from γράφω (gráphō, “write”), from Proto-Indo-European *gerbʰ- (“to carve, scratch”). Displaced native Old English stæfcræft; a doublet of glamour, glamoury, gramarye, and grimoire. Piecewise doublet of grammatic.

Synonyms

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: garmmar,ggrammar,gramamr,gramar,grammarr,grammra,grmamar,grrammar,rgammar

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

garmmar2ggrammar1gramamr2gramar1grammarr1grammra2grmamar2grrammar1
Edit distance from "grammar"

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 "grammar"?
"grammar" is spelled G-R-A-M-M-A-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɡɹæm.ə(ɹ)/.
What does "grammar" mean?
As a noun, "grammar" means: A system of rules and principles for the structure of a language, or of languages in general.
What words are commonly confused with "grammar"?
"grammar" is commonly confused with "Grammy", "Grammer", "gamma". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "grammar"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "grammar" is /ˈɡɹæm.ə(ɹ)/. 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 "grammar"?
From Middle English gramere, from Old French gramaire (“classical learning”), from unattested Vulgar Latin *grammāria, an alteration of Latin grammatica, from Ancient Greek γραμματική (grammatikḗ, “skilled in writing”), from γράμμα (grámma, “line ... 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 “grammar”

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

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