gross

/ɡɹəʊs/

//ɡɹəʊs// adj

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

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

The verdict

“gross” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #3,305 in English word frequency and used as an adjective.

#3,305
frequency rank, English
5
letters
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Highly or conspicuously offensive.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

gross vs grow
60% similar
gross vs group
60% similar
gross vs guess
60% similar

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

Key facts for gross
PropertyValue
Headwordgross
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ɡɹəʊs/
Letters5
Frequency rank#3,305
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “gross” 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). gross 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 gross is 5 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ɡɹəʊs/. Corpus data places it at rank #3,305 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 11 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 gross, with forms such as "ggross", "gorss", and "gros". 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, "grow", "group", "guess", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English gros (“large, thick, full-bodied; coarse, unrefined, simple”), from Old French gros, from Latin grossus (“big, fat, thick”, in Late Latin also “coarse, rough”), of uncertain further origin but perhaps related to Proto-Celtic *brassos (“g… The correct English form is gross, spelled G-R-O-S-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Highly or conspicuously offensive.
  2. 2
    Of an amount: excluding any deductions; including all associated amounts.
  3. 3
    Seen without a microscope (usually for a tissue or an organ); at a large scale; not detailed.
  4. 4
    Causing disgust.
  5. 5
    Lacking refinement in behaviour or manner; offending a standard of morality.
  6. 6
    Lacking refinement; not of high quality.
  7. 7
    Dense, heavy.
  8. 8
    Heavy in proportion to one's height; having a lot of excess flesh.
  9. 9
    Difficult or impossible to see through.
  10. 10
    Not sensitive in perception or feeling.
  11. 11
    Easy to perceive.

Etymology

From Middle English gros (“large, thick, full-bodied; coarse, unrefined, simple”), from Old French gros, from Latin grossus (“big, fat, thick”, in Late Latin also “coarse, rough”), of uncertain further origin but perhaps related to Proto-Celtic *brassos (“great, violent”).

This word in other languages

repulsivo(Español)brut(Français)grob(Deutsch)bruto(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ggross,gorss,gros,grross,grsos,rgoss

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ggross1gorss2gros1grross1grsos2rgoss2
Edit distance from "gross"

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 "gross"?
"gross" is spelled G-R-O-S-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ɡɹəʊs/.
What does "gross" mean?
As an adjective, "gross" means: Highly or conspicuously offensive.
What words are commonly confused with "gross"?
"gross" is commonly confused with "grow", "group", "guess". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "gross"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "gross" is /ɡɹəʊs/. 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 "gross"?
From Middle English gros (“large, thick, full-bodied; coarse, unrefined, simple”), from Old French gros, from Latin grossus (“big, fat, thick”, in Late Latin also “coarse, rough”), of uncertain further origin but perhaps related to Proto-Celtic *b... 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 “gross”

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

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