grebe

/ɡɹiːb/

//ɡɹiːb// noun

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

"grebe" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“grebe” is uncommon English (frequency #74,134 among 18,276 “G” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#74,134
frequency rank, English
18,276
“G” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Any of several waterbirds in the family Podicipedidae of the order Podicipediformes. They have strong, sharp bills, and lobate toes.

Key facts for grebe
PropertyValue
Headwordgrebe
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɡɹiːb/
Letters5
Frequency rank#74,134
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “grebe” 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). grebe 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

grebe is uncommon English at frequency #74,134 among 18,276 “G” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ɡɹiːb/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "Any of several waterbirds in the family Podicipedidae of the order Podicipediformes. They have strong, sharp bills, and lobate toes.".

grebe doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From French grèbe. The correct English form is grebe, spelled G-R-E-B-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Any of several waterbirds in the family Podicipedidae of the order Podicipediformes. They have strong, sharp bills, and lobate toes.

Etymology

From French grèbe.

Synonyms

dabchick

This word in other languages

zambullidor(Español)grèbe(Français)Lappentaucher(Deutsch)

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 "grebe"?
"grebe" is spelled G-R-E-B-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɡɹiːb/.
What does "grebe" mean?
As a noun, "grebe" means: Any of several waterbirds in the family Podicipedidae of the order Podicipediformes. They have strong, sharp bills, and lobate toes.
How do you pronounce "grebe"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "grebe" is /ɡɹiːb/. 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 "grebe"?
From French grèbe. 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 “grebe”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is G-R-E-B-E - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ɡɹiːb/ (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