gudgeon
/ˈɡʌdʒən/
"gudgeon" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“gudgeon” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 7
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A small freshwater fish, Gobio gobio, that is native to Eurasia.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | gudgeon |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /ˈɡʌdʒən/ |
| Letters | 7 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “gudgeon” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
gudgeon is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈɡʌdʒən/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 6 senses are on record.
No generated misspelling entries exist for gudgeon in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.
Etymologically, the entry records: The noun is derived from Late Middle English gojoun [and other forms], from Old French gojon, goujon (“gudgeon”), from Late Latin gōbiōnem, the accusative of gōbiō, the augmentative of Latin gōbius (“gudgeon”), from Ancient Greek κωβῐός (kōbĭós, “fish of th… The correct English form is gudgeon, spelled G-U-D-G-E-O-N.
Definition
- 1A small freshwater fish, Gobio gobio, that is native to Eurasia.
- 2Cottus bairdii, more widely known as mottled sculpin.
- 3Any of various similar small fish of the family Eleotridae, often used as bait.
- 4Other fish, similar in appearance, principally in families Butidae and Eleotridae, but also in others.
- 5A person apt to take the bait; one easily cheated or duped; also, an idiot.
- 6Something used to lure or tempt; bait, a lure.
Etymology
The noun is derived from Late Middle English gojoun [and other forms], from Old French gojon, goujon (“gudgeon”), from Late Latin gōbiōnem, the accusative of gōbiō, the augmentative of Latin gōbius (“gudgeon”), from Ancient Greek κωβῐός (kōbĭós, “fish of the gudgeon kind”), probably of Semitic origin. The English word is a doublet of goby and goujon. The verb is derived from the noun.
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Using “gudgeon”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is G-U-D-G-E-O-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /ˈɡʌdʒən/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
- 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.