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” has 6 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #3,305. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#3,305
frequency rank, English
2,313
“G” headwords
6
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Highly or conspicuously offensive.

Corpus desk

Index EN-gross · gross · English

gross · rank #3,305 · 6 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #3,305
  • LEN-MID 5 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-MID 6 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,313
  • PHOTO-FINISH gray

Nearest frequency peer: gray (-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.

Frequency neighbourhood for “gross”

Lower corpus rank = more everyday usage (inverted bar length for readability)

corpus weight

What this shows Bars show where “gross” sits against the nearest ranked English headwords in the FrequencyWords band, not a reprint of letter-browse containment.

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).

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).grosslands 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 “gray” (#3,304), “horses” (#3,306), “governments” (#3,303). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 6 spelling variants around gross (IPA /ɡɹəʊs/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #3,305 among 2,313 “G” headwords. Wiktionary lists 11 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

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.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. a gross mistake; gross injustice; gross negligence; a gross insult
  2. Henry IV. My gracious uncle, let me know my fault: / On what condition stands it and wherein? / Edmund of Langley. Even in condition of the worst degree, / In gross rebellion and detested treason:

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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "gross", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

flash#3,299minds#3,315Egypt#3,294bonus#3,281

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (6 here; floor ≥5).

fort6 variantsmath6 variantsbars6 variantswash6 variants

What to do next

You've looked up "gross". Here's where to go from here.

  • "gross" maps to 20 confusable pairs in this vintage; the highest-scored is "grow". View pair
  • 6 edit-distance misspelling variants are generated for spell-check research on this headword. See variants
  • Usage frequency rank #3,305 among English headwords in this corpus. Corpus statistics
  • Browse more English words in the "G" letter cohort. G–Z browse
  • PlainSpell rotates a curated Word of the Day from the English corpus, a passive way to discover vocabulary. Word of the Day

PlainSpell is a reference corpus, not spelling advice. Verify unusual forms in context.

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