griot
/ˈɡɹi.oʊ/
"griot" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“griot” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 5
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A West African storyteller who passes on oral traditions; a wandering musician and poet.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | griot |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈɡɹi.oʊ/ |
| Letters | 5 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “griot” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
griot is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈɡɹi.oʊ/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. Gloss: "A West African storyteller who passes on oral traditions; a wandering musician and poet.".
Zero misspellings are on record for griot in our index, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. No confusable counterpart is on file for this word, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.
Etymologically, the entry records: Borrowed from French griot. The correct English form is griot, spelled G-R-I-O-T.
Definition
- 1A West African storyteller who passes on oral traditions; a wandering musician and poet.
Etymology
Borrowed from French griot.
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). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “griot”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is G-R-I-O-T - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈɡɹi.oʊ/ (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
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.