gray

/ɡɹeɪ/

//ɡɹeɪ// adj

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

"gray" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“gray” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #3,304 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#3,304
frequency rank, English
4
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Of a colour between black and white, having neutral hue and intermediate brightness.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

gray vs guy
50% similar
gray vs GTA
0% similar
gray vs GRE
0% similar

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

Key facts for gray
PropertyValue
Headwordgray
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ɡɹeɪ/
Letters4
Frequency rank#3,304
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “gray” 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). gray 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 gray is 4 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɡɹeɪ/. Corpus data places it at rank #3,304 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 6 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for gray, with forms such as "ggray", "grayy", and "grray". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "guy", "GTA", "GRE", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English gray, from Old English grǣġ, grǣw (“grey”), from Proto-West Germanic *grāu, from Proto-Germanic *grēwaz (“grey”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰreh₁- (“to green, to grow”). Cognate with West Frisian grau (“grey”), Dutch grauw (“grey”), Ger… The correct English form is gray, spelled G-R-A-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Of a colour between black and white, having neutral hue and intermediate brightness.
  2. 2
    Dreary, gloomy, cloudy.
  3. 3
    Of indistinct, disputed or uncertain quality or acceptability.
  4. 4
    Gray-haired.
  5. 5
    Old.
  6. 6
    Relating to older people.

Etymology

From Middle English gray, from Old English grǣġ, grǣw (“grey”), from Proto-West Germanic *grāu, from Proto-Germanic *grēwaz (“grey”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰreh₁- (“to green, to grow”). Cognate with West Frisian grau (“grey”), Dutch grauw (“grey”), German Low German grau, graag (“grey”), German grau (“grey”), Swedish grå (“grey”), Icelandic grár (“grey”), Latin rāvus (“tawny, grey”), Old Church Slavonic зьрѭ (zĭrjǫ, “to see, to glance”), archaic Russian зреть (zretʹ, “to watch, to look at”), Lithuanian žeriù (“to shine”).

This word in other languages

gris(Español)gris(Français)grau(Deutsch)cinza(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ggray,grayy,grray,grya,rgay

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of gray - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

ggray1grayy1grray1grya2rgay2
Edit distance from "gray"

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 "gray"?
"gray" is spelled G-R-A-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ɡɹeɪ/.
What does "gray" mean?
As an adjective, "gray" means: Of a colour between black and white, having neutral hue and intermediate brightness.
What words are commonly confused with "gray"?
"gray" is commonly confused with "guy", "GTA", "GRE". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "gray"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "gray" is /ɡɹeɪ/. 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 "gray"?
From Middle English gray, from Old English grǣġ, grǣw (“grey”), from Proto-West Germanic *grāu, from Proto-Germanic *grēwaz (“grey”), from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰreh₁- (“to green, to grow”). Cognate with West Frisian grau (“grey”), Dutch grauw (“g... 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 “gray”

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

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