grotesque

/ɡɹəʊˈtɛsk/

//ɡɹəʊˈtɛsk// adj

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

"grotesque" is a 9-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“grotesque” has 13 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #20,129. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#20,129
frequency rank, English
2,313
“G” headwords
13
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Distorted and unnatural in shape or size; abnormal, especially in a hideous way.

Corpus desk

Index EN-grotesque · grotesque · English

grotesque · rank #20,129 · 13 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-MID #20,129
  • LEN-LONG 9 letters
  • VOW-4 4 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-HIGH 13 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,313
  • PHOTO-FINISH grizzly

Nearest frequency peer: grizzly (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “grotesque”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “grotesque” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for grotesque
PropertyValue
Headwordgrotesque
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ɡɹəʊˈtɛsk/
Letters9
Frequency rank#20,129
Misspellings tracked13
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “grotesque”

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).grotesquelands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

The axis is logarithmic, with each marked tick roughly ten times rarer than the last. Same rarity band neighbours include “grizzly” (#20,128), “Greenville” (#20,127), “goldfish” (#20,126). Among 2,313 “G” headwords, “grotesque” is #20,129. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 13 spelling variants around grotesque (IPA /ɡɹəʊˈtɛsk/), anadjective. Corpus frequency is #20,129 among 2,313 “G” headwords. Wiktionary lists 3 senses, so context still picks the gloss.

Our generated misspelling index lists 13 likely wrong-spelling variants for grotesque, with forms such as "ggrotesque", "gortesque", and "groetsque". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, which typically means the spelling is too distinctive to be mistaken for another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: Etymology tree Ancient Greek κρύπτω (krúptō) Ancient Greek κρυπτή (kruptḗ)bor. Latin crypta Italian grotta Proto-Indo-European *-iskos Proto-Germanic *-iskaz Proto-West Germanic *-iskbor. Vulgar Latin -iscus Italian -esco Italian grottescobor. Middle French… The correct English form is grotesque, spelled G-R-O-T-E-S-Q-U-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    Distorted and unnatural in shape or size; abnormal, especially in a hideous way.
  2. 2
    Disgusting or otherwise viscerally revolting.
  3. 3
    Sans serif.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. The chimney-piece was of party-coloured marble, covered with figures, some of whose faces were beautiful, but generally running off into those grotesque combinations which characterised the peculiar taste of their time.
  2. A Libyan longing took us, and we would have chosen, if we could, to bear a strand of grotesque beads, or a handful of brazen gauds, and traffic them for some sable maid with crisp locks, whom, uncoffling from the captive train beside the desert, we should make to do our general housework forever, through the right of lawful purchase.

Etymology

Etymology tree Ancient Greek κρύπτω (krúptō) Ancient Greek κρυπτή (kruptḗ)bor. Latin crypta Italian grotta Proto-Indo-European *-iskos Proto-Germanic *-iskaz Proto-West Germanic *-iskbor. Vulgar Latin -iscus Italian -esco Italian grottescobor. Middle French grotesquebor. English grotesque Borrowed from Middle French grotesque, from Italian grottesco, from grotta (“cave”) + -esco (relational suffix). By surface analysis, grotto + -esque. Compare French grotesque, English grotto.

This word in other languages

grotesco(Español)grotesque(Français)grotesk(Deutsch)grotesco(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ggrotesque
  • gortesque
  • groetsque
  • groteqsue
  • grotesqeu
  • grotesqque
  • grotessque
  • grotesuqe
  • grotseque
  • grottesque
  • grrotesque
  • grtoesque
  • rgotesque

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ggrotesque1gortesque2groetsque2groteqsue2grotesqeu2grotesqque1grotessque1grotesuqe2
Edit distance from "grotesque"

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 "grotesque"?
"grotesque" is spelled G-R-O-T-E-S-Q-U-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ɡɹəʊˈtɛsk/.
What does "grotesque" mean?
As an adjective, "grotesque" means: Distorted and unnatural in shape or size; abnormal, especially in a hideous way.
What are common misspellings of "grotesque"?
Common misspellings include "ggrotesque", "gortesque", "groetsque", "groteqsue", "grotesqeu". The correct spelling is "grotesque".
How do you pronounce "grotesque"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "grotesque" is /ɡɹəʊˈtɛsk/. 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 "grotesque"?
Etymology tree Ancient Greek κρύπτω (krúptō) Ancient Greek κρυπτή (kruptḗ)bor. Latin crypta Italian grotta Proto-Indo-European *-iskos Proto-Germanic *-iskaz Proto-West Germanic *-iskbor. Vulgar Latin -iscus Italian -esco Italian grottescobor. Mid... 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 "grotesque", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 9 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

dignified#20,096reckoning#20,201boardwalk#20,048barbarian#20,043

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (13 here; floor ≥5).

goldfish13 variantsProverbs13 variantsseasoning13 variantsamplitude13 variants

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list