# gruff

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ɡɹʌf/ · frequency rank #36,588

## Definitions
1. having a rough, surly, and harsh demeanor and nature.
2. hoarse-voiced.
3. hoarse.

## Etymology
16th century, from Dutch grof and/or Middle Low German grof (both “rough, coarse, rude”), from Old Dutch *grof or Old Saxon *grof, both from Proto-West Germanic *grob, from Proto-Germanic *grubaz (“coarse, rough”), possibly from an earlier *gahrubaz and then related with *hreubaz (“scabby, rough, scrubby”).
Cognate with Saterland Frisian groaf (“rough, coarse, crude”), West Frisian grof (“rough, coarse, crude”), Low German groff (“rough, coarse, crude”), German grob (“rough, coarse, crude”), Swedish grov (“rough, coarse, crude”).

## Easily confused with
- **gulf** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gruff-vs-gulf)
- **grunt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gruff-vs-grunt)
- **GRU** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gru-vs-gruff)
- **grub** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/grub-vs-gruff)
- **goff** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/goff-vs-gruff)
- **Graf** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/graf-vs-gruff)
- **gaff** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/gaff-vs-gruff)
- **grief** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/grief-vs-gruff)
- **Geoff** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/geoff-vs-gruff)
- **graft** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/graft-vs-gruff)
- **graff** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/graff-vs-gruff)
- **Griff** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/griff-vs-gruff)

## Common misspellings (6)
`ggruff`, `grfuf`, `grruff`, `gruf`, `gurff`, `rguff`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/gruff