grog

/ɡɹɒɡ/

//ɡɹɒɡ// noun

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

The verdict

“grog” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #44,236 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#44,236
frequency rank, English
4
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An alcoholic beverage made with rum and water, especially that once issued to sailors of the Royal Navy.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

grog vs Guo
25% similar
grog vs GRU
0% similar
grog vs grr
50% similar

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

Key facts for grog
PropertyValue
Headwordgrog
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɡɹɒɡ/
Letters4
Frequency rank#44,236
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “grog” 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). grog 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 grog is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɡɹɒɡ/. Corpus data places it at rank #44,236 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 6 likely wrong-spelling variants for grog, with forms such as "ggrog", "gorg", and "grgo". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "Guo", "GRU", "grr", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: An allusion to Admiral Edward Vernon (nicknamed “Old Grog” after the grogram coat he habitually wore), who in 1740 ordered his sailors' rum to be watered down. Alternatively, from Old Catalan grog or groch, modern groc, meaning "yellow" (ultimately from Lat… The correct English form is grog, spelled G-R-O-G.

Definition

  1. 1
    An alcoholic beverage made with rum and water, especially that once issued to sailors of the Royal Navy.
  2. 2
    An alcoholic beverage made with rum and water, especially that once issued to sailors of the Royal Navy.
  3. 3
    Any alcoholic beverage.
  4. 4
    A glass or serving of an alcoholic beverage.
  5. 5
    A type of pre-fired clay that has been ground and screened to a specific particle size.

Etymology

An allusion to Admiral Edward Vernon (nicknamed “Old Grog” after the grogram coat he habitually wore), who in 1740 ordered his sailors' rum to be watered down. Alternatively, from Old Catalan grog or groch, modern groc, meaning "yellow" (ultimately from Latin crocum (“saffron”); after the name of the resulting color of the watered down rum sold all over the Mediterranean. The ration of rum tot could also come from Catalan tot meaning "full", "whole".

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ggrog,gorg,grgo,grogg,grrog,rgog

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ggrog1gorg2grgo2grogg1grrog1rgog2
Edit distance from "grog"

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 "grog"?
"grog" is spelled G-R-O-G. The IPA pronunciation is /ɡɹɒɡ/.
What does "grog" mean?
As a noun, "grog" means: An alcoholic beverage made with rum and water, especially that once issued to sailors of the Royal Navy.
What words are commonly confused with "grog"?
"grog" is commonly confused with "Guo", "GRU", "grr". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "grog"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "grog" is /ɡɹɒɡ/. 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 "grog"?
An allusion to Admiral Edward Vernon (nicknamed “Old Grog” after the grogram coat he habitually wore), who in 1740 ordered his sailors' rum to be watered down. Alternatively, from Old Catalan grog or groch, modern groc, meaning "yellow" (ultimatel... 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 “grog”

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

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