graviton

/ˈɡɹavɪtɒn/

//ˈɡɹavɪtɒn// noun

"graviton" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“graviton” is uncommon English (frequency #74,133 among 18,276 “G” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#74,133
frequency rank, English
18,276
“G” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A hypothetical gauge boson that regulates the gravitational force. It would have a spin of 2 and zero rest mass.

Key facts for graviton
PropertyValue
Headwordgraviton
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɡɹavɪtɒn/
Letters8
Frequency rank#74,133
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “graviton” 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). graviton 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

graviton is uncommon English at frequency #74,133 among 18,276 “G” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈɡɹavɪtɒn/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A hypothetical gauge boson that regulates the gravitational force. It would have a spin of 2 and zero rest mass.".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for graviton, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From gravity + -on. Coined by Russian physicists Dmitrii Blokhintsev and F. M. Gal'perin in 1934, and reintroduced by English physicist Paul Dirac in 1959 in a lecture to the American Physical Society. The correct English form is graviton, spelled G-R-A-V-I-T-O-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A hypothetical gauge boson that regulates the gravitational force. It would have a spin of 2 and zero rest mass.

Etymology

From gravity + -on. Coined by Russian physicists Dmitrii Blokhintsev and F. M. Gal'perin in 1934, and reintroduced by English physicist Paul Dirac in 1959 in a lecture to the American Physical Society.

This word in other languages

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 "graviton"?
"graviton" is spelled G-R-A-V-I-T-O-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɡɹavɪtɒn/.
What does "graviton" mean?
As a noun, "graviton" means: A hypothetical gauge boson that regulates the gravitational force. It would have a spin of 2 and zero rest mass.
How do you pronounce "graviton"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "graviton" is /ˈɡɹavɪtɒn/. 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 "graviton"?
From gravity + -on. Coined by Russian physicists Dmitrii Blokhintsev and F. M. Gal'perin in 1934, and reintroduced by English physicist Paul Dirac in 1959 in a lecture to the American Physical Society. 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 “graviton”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is G-R-A-V-I-T-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈɡɹavɪtɒn/ (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