groove

/ɡɹuːv/

//ɡɹuːv// noun

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

"groove" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“groove” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #10,552 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#10,552
frequency rank, English
6
letters
7
tracked misspellings
18
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A long, narrow channel or depression; e.g., such a slot cut into a hard material to provide a location for an engineering component, a tire groove, or a geological channel or depression.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

groove vs grove
83% similar
groove vs grope
67% similar
groove vs groves
67% similar

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

Key facts for groove
PropertyValue
Headwordgroove
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ɡɹuːv/
Letters6
Frequency rank#10,552
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs18
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “groove” 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). groove 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 groove is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɡɹuːv/. Corpus data places it at rank #10,552 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 7 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 7 likely wrong-spelling variants for groove, with forms such as "ggroove", "gorove", and "grooev". 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 18 confusable-pair relationships, "grove", "grope", "groves", 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 grov, grove, groof, grofe (“cave; pit; mining shaft”), probably from Old Norse gróf (“pit”) or from Middle Dutch groeve (“furrow, ditch”), both from Proto-West Germanic *grōbu, from Proto-Germanic *grōbō (“groove, furrow”), from Proto-In… The correct English form is groove, spelled G-R-O-O-V-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    A long, narrow channel or depression; e.g., such a slot cut into a hard material to provide a location for an engineering component, a tire groove, or a geological channel or depression.
  2. 2
    A fixed routine.
  3. 3
    The middle of the strike zone in baseball where a pitch is most easily hit.
  4. 4
    A pronounced, enjoyable rhythm.
  5. 5
    A good feeling (often as in the groove).
  6. 6
    A shaft or excavation.
  7. 7
    The optimal route around the track, or any of several such routes.

Etymology

From Middle English grov, grove, groof, grofe (“cave; pit; mining shaft”), probably from Old Norse gróf (“pit”) or from Middle Dutch groeve (“furrow, ditch”), both from Proto-West Germanic *grōbu, from Proto-Germanic *grōbō (“groove, furrow”), from Proto-Indo-European *gʰrebʰ- (“to dig, scrape, bury”). Cognate with Cimbrian gruuba (“gorge, ravine”), Dutch groef, groeve (“groove; pit, grave”), German Grube (“ditch, pit”), Luxembourgish Grouf (“pit, mine”), Mòcheno gruab (“mine”), Icelandic gróf (“pit, hollow”), Gothic 𐌲𐍂𐍉𐌱𐌰 (grōba, “foxhole”), Serbo-Croatian grèbati (“scratch, dig”). Related to Old English grafan (“to dig”). More at grave.

This word in other languages

ranura(Español)rainure(Français)Rille(Deutsch)ranhura(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ggroove,gorove,grooev,groovve,grovoe,grroove,rgoove

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of groove - 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.

ggroove1gorove2grooev2groovve1grovoe2grroove1rgoove2
Edit distance from "groove"

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 "groove"?
"groove" is spelled G-R-O-O-V-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɡɹuːv/.
What does "groove" mean?
As a noun, "groove" means: A long, narrow channel or depression; e.g., such a slot cut into a hard material to provide a location for an engineering component, a tire groove, or a geological channel or depression.
What words are commonly confused with "groove"?
"groove" is commonly confused with "grove", "grope", "groves". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "groove"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "groove" is /ɡɹuːv/. 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 "groove"?
From Middle English grov, grove, groof, grofe (“cave; pit; mining shaft”), probably from Old Norse gróf (“pit”) or from Middle Dutch groeve (“furrow, ditch”), both from Proto-West Germanic *grōbu, from Proto-Germanic *grōbō (“groove, furrow”), fro... 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 “groove”

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

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