grimace

/ˈɡɹɪm.əs/

//ˈɡɹɪm.əs// noun

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

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

The verdict

“grimace” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #46,492. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#46,492
frequency rank, English
2,313
“G” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
2
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A contorted facial expression, often expressing contempt or pain.

Corpus desk

Index EN-grimace · grimace · English

grimace · rank #46,492 · 10 variants · 2 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #46,492
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 2 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,313
  • PHOTO-FINISH groggy

Nearest frequency peer: groggy (+1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “grimace”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “grimace” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

grimace vs grime
71% similar
grimace vs grace
71% similar

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

Key facts for grimace
PropertyValue
Headwordgrimace
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɡɹɪm.əs/
Letters7
Frequency rank#46,492
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “grimace”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).grimacelands here:

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

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “groggy” (#46,493), “Gregson” (#46,490), “grt” (#46,494). Among 2,313 “G” headwords, “grimace” is #46,492. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around grimace (IPA /ˈɡɹɪm.əs/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #46,492 among 2,313 “G” headwords. Wiktionary lists 2 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for grimace, with forms such as "ggrimace", "girmace", and "griamce". 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 2 confusable-pair relationships, "grime", "grace", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From French grimace, from Middle French grimace, from Old French grimace, grimuche, from grime (“mask”) (with the pejorative suffix -ace, from Latin -āceus), from Frankish *grīma, *grīmō (“mask”), from Proto-Germanic *grīmô (“mask, helmet”). Cognate with Ol… The correct English form is grimace, spelled G-R-I-M-A-C-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A contorted facial expression, often expressing contempt or pain.
  2. 2
    Affectation, pretence.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how grimace appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Her face was twisted in a grimace of disgust.
  2. I trundle off to bed, eyes brimming, face twisted into a grateful glistening grimace, and awaken the next day wondering what all the fuss was about.

Etymology

From French grimace, from Middle French grimace, from Old French grimace, grimuche, from grime (“mask”) (with the pejorative suffix -ace, from Latin -āceus), from Frankish *grīma, *grīmō (“mask”), from Proto-Germanic *grīmô (“mask, helmet”). Cognate with Old English grīma (“mask, visor, helmet, spectre, apparition”). More at grime.

This word in other languages

mueca(Español)grimace(Français)Grimasse(Deutsch)careta(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ggrimace
  • girmace
  • griamce
  • grimacce
  • grimaec
  • grimcae
  • grimmace
  • grmiace
  • grrimace
  • rgimace

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ggrimace1girmace2griamce2grimacce1grimaec2grimcae2grimmace1grmiace2
Edit distance from "grimace"

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 "grimace"?
"grimace" is spelled G-R-I-M-A-C-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɡɹɪm.əs/.
What does "grimace" mean?
As a noun, "grimace" means: A contorted facial expression, often expressing contempt or pain.
What words are commonly confused with "grimace"?
"grimace" is commonly confused with "grime", "grace". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "grimace"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "grimace" is /ˈɡɹɪm.əs/. 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 "grimace"?
From French grimace, from Middle French grimace, from Old French grimace, grimuche, from grime (“mask”) (with the pejorative suffix -ace, from Latin -āceus), from Frankish *grīma, *grīmō (“mask”), from Proto-Germanic *grīmô (“mask, helmet”). Cogna... 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "grimace", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Gregson#46,490Gorsuch#46,489Guinean#46,497glycine#46,486

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

effector10 variantsJaclyn10 variantsdeflate10 variantsMcCarty10 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list