guileless

/ˈɡaɪl.ləs/

//ˈɡaɪl.ləs// adj

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

The verdict

“guileless” is outside the top-ranked English vocabulary, used as an adjective - the kind of word writers most often double-check.

Unranked
below top-frequency English
9
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Free from guile; honest but naive.

Key facts for guileless
PropertyValue
Headwordguileless
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ˈɡaɪl.ləs/
Letters9
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “guileless” sits in English frequency

guileless falls outside the top-100,000 ranked English words, the long-tail zone of technical, archaic, or low-frequency vocabulary, exactly where readers second-guess spellings most.

Beyond rank #100,000. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for guileless is 9 letters long, classified as an adjective, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɡaɪl.ləs/. It sits outside the most-frequent rank tiers, which is often why uncommon words generate more spelling variants per reader. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "Free from guile; honest but naive.".

We couldn't generate a plausible misspelling set for guileless, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. Our confusable-pair dataset has no match for it, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From guile + -less. The correct English form is guileless, spelled G-U-I-L-E-L-E-S-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    Free from guile; honest but naive.

Etymology

From guile + -less.

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

How do you spell "guileless"?
"guileless" is spelled G-U-I-L-E-L-E-S-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɡaɪl.ləs/.
What does "guileless" mean?
As an adjective, "guileless" means: Free from guile; honest but naive.
How do you pronounce "guileless"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "guileless" is /ˈɡaɪl.ləs/. 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 "guileless"?
From guile + -less. 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 “guileless”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is G-U-I-L-E-L-E-S-S - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈɡaɪl.ləs/ (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.

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list