grind

/ˈɡɹaɪnd/

//ˈɡɹaɪnd// verb

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

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

The verdict

“grind” has 8 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #7,795. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#7,795
frequency rank, English
2,313
“G” headwords
8
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To reduce to smaller pieces by crushing with lateral motion.

Corpus desk

Index EN-grind · grind · English

grind · rank #7,795 · 8 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #7,795
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 8 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,313
  • PHOTO-FINISH generator

Nearest frequency peer: generator (-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 “grind”

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

corpus weight

What this shows “grind” 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).

grind vs grip
60% similar
grind vs grit
60% similar
grind vs guild
60% similar

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

Key facts for grind
PropertyValue
Headwordgrind
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈɡɹaɪnd/
Letters5
Frequency rank#7,795
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “grind”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).grindlands here:

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “generator” (#7,794), “grinding” (#7,796), “float” (#7,793). Among 2,313 “G” headwords, “grind” is #7,795. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 8 spelling variants around grind (IPA /ˈɡɹaɪnd/), averb. Corpus frequency is #7,795 among 2,313 “G” headwords. Wiktionary lists 18 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for grind, with forms such as "ggrind", "girnd", and "gridn". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "grip", "grit", "guild", 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 grynden, from Old English grindan, from Proto-West Germanic *grindan, from Proto-Germanic *grindaną. Cognate with Saterland Frisian gríende, griene (“to grind, mill”), Dutch grinden (“to grind”, rare) and grind (“gravel, shingle”), Alban… The correct English form is grind, spelled G-R-I-N-D.

Definition

  1. 1
    To reduce to smaller pieces by crushing with lateral motion.
  2. 2
    To shape with the force of friction.
  3. 3
    To remove material by rubbing with an abrasive surface.
  4. 4
    To become ground, pulverized, or polished by friction.
  5. 5
    To move with much difficulty or friction; to grate.
  6. 6
    To slide the flat portion of a skateboard or snowboard across an obstacle such as a railing.
  7. 7
    To oppress, hold down or weaken.
  8. 8
    To rotate the hips erotically.
  9. 9
    To dance in a sexually suggestive way with both partners in very close proximity, often pressed against each other.
  10. 10
    To rub one's body against another's in a sexual way; to frottage.
  11. 11
    To repeat a task a large number of times in a row to achieve a specific goal.
  12. 12
    To operate by turning a crank.
  13. 13
    To produce mechanically and repetitively as if by turning a crank.
  14. 14
    To automatically format and indent code.
  15. 15
    To eat.
  16. 16
    To instill through repetitive teaching.
  17. 17
    To work or study hard; to hustle or drudge.
  18. 18
    To annoy or irritate (a person); to grind one's gears.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. grind a lens; grind an axe
  2. This corn grinds well.

Etymology

From Middle English grynden, from Old English grindan, from Proto-West Germanic *grindan, from Proto-Germanic *grindaną. Cognate with Saterland Frisian gríende, griene (“to grind, mill”), Dutch grinden (“to grind”, rare) and grind (“gravel, shingle”), Albanian grind (“to brawl, fight”).

This word in other languages

moler(Español)moudre(Français)mahlen(Deutsch)moer(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ggrind
  • girnd
  • gridn
  • grindd
  • grinnd
  • grnid
  • grrind
  • rgind

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of grind - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

ggrind1girnd2gridn2grindd1grinnd1grnid2grrind1rgind2
Edit distance from "grind"

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 "grind"?
"grind" is spelled G-R-I-N-D. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɡɹaɪnd/.
What does "grind" mean?
As a verb, "grind" means: To reduce to smaller pieces by crushing with lateral motion.
What words are commonly confused with "grind"?
"grind" is commonly confused with "grip", "grit", "guild". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "grind"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "grind" is /ˈɡɹaɪnd/. 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 "grind"?
From Middle English grynden, from Old English grindan, from Proto-West Germanic *grindan, from Proto-Germanic *grindaną. Cognate with Saterland Frisian gríende, griene (“to grind, mill”), Dutch grinden (“to grind”, rare) and grind (“gravel, shingl... 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 "grind", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 5 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

float#7,793grove#7,797hobby#7,800lance#7,807

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (8 here; floor ≥5).

feared8 variantsCurtis8 variantslocate8 variantslocks8 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list