grotto

/ˈɡɹɒt.əʊ/

//ˈɡɹɒt.əʊ// noun

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

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

The verdict

“grotto” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #32,830 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#32,830
frequency rank, English
6
letters
6
tracked misspellings
10
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A small cave.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

grotto vs grout
67% similar
grotto vs growth
67% similar
grotto vs GOTO
0% similar

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

Key facts for grotto
PropertyValue
Headwordgrotto
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɡɹɒt.əʊ/
Letters6
Frequency rank#32,830
Misspellings tracked6
Confusable pairs10
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “grotto” 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). grotto 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 grotto is 6 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɡɹɒt.əʊ/. Corpus data places it at rank #32,830 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 6 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 grotto, with forms such as "ggrotto", "gortto", and "grotot". 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 10 confusable-pair relationships, "grout", "growth", "GOTO", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Italian grotta, from Vulgar Latin grupta, from Classical Latin crypta. Doublet of crypt. The Philippine sense is from the holy cave in Lourdes, France. The correct English form is grotto, spelled G-R-O-T-T-O.

Definition

  1. 1
    A small cave.
  2. 2
    An artificial cavern-like retreat.
  3. 3
    A Marian shrine, usually built in a cavern-like structure.
  4. 4
    A local organization of cavers that typically organizes trips to caves and provides information and training for caving; a caving club.
  5. 5
    A secretive name for a local group of underground Satanists.
  6. 6
    A garden or roadside shrine with a small cave containing a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary (usually Our Lady of Lourdes and sometimes paired with a water feature)

Etymology

From Italian grotta, from Vulgar Latin grupta, from Classical Latin crypta. Doublet of crypt. The Philippine sense is from the holy cave in Lourdes, France.

This word in other languages

gruta(Español)grotte(Français)Grotte(Deutsch)gruta(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ggrotto,gortto,grotot,grrotto,grtoto,rgotto

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

ggrotto1gortto2grotot2grrotto1grtoto2rgotto2
Edit distance from "grotto"

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 "grotto"?
"grotto" is spelled G-R-O-T-T-O. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɡɹɒt.əʊ/.
What does "grotto" mean?
As a noun, "grotto" means: A small cave.
What words are commonly confused with "grotto"?
"grotto" is commonly confused with "grout", "growth", "GOTO". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "grotto"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "grotto" is /ˈɡɹɒt.əʊ/. 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 "grotto"?
From Italian grotta, from Vulgar Latin grupta, from Classical Latin crypta. Doublet of crypt. The Philippine sense is from the holy cave in Lourdes, France. 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 “grotto”

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

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