Guinness

/ˈɡɪnɪs/

//ˈɡɪnɪs// name

"guinness" is a 8-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“Guinness” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #15,181 in English word frequency and used as a proper noun.

#15,181
frequency rank, English
8
letters
8
tracked misspellings

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A surname from Irish.

Key facts for Guinness
PropertyValue
HeadwordGuinness
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/ˈɡɪnɪs/
Letters8
Frequency rank#15,181
Misspellings tracked8
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Guinness” 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). Guinness 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 Guinness is 8 letters long, classified as a proper noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɡɪnɪs/. Corpus data places it at rank #15,181 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 8 likely wrong-spelling variants for Guinness, with forms such as "gguinness", "giunness", and "guinenss". 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, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: An Anglicization of an Irish patronymic surname based on Angus. The correct English form is Guinness, spelled G-U-I-N-N-E-S-S.

Definition

  1. 1
    A surname from Irish.
  2. 2
    A brand of dark stout beer from Ireland, one of the most widely recognised brands of beer in the world, named for Arthur Guinness who first brewed it.
  3. 3
    Guinness World Records.

Etymology

An Anglicization of an Irish patronymic surname based on Angus.

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: gguinness,giunness,guinenss,guiness,guinnes,guinnses,guniness,uginness

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Guinness - counted as single-character edits (an insertion, a deletion, or a substituted letter). The larger the bar, the easier the typo is to spot; one-edit slips are the ones that sneak past readers.

gguinness1giunness2guinenss2guiness1guinnes1guinnses2guniness2uginness2
Edit distance from "Guinness"

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 "Guinness"?
"Guinness" is spelled G-U-I-N-N-E-S-S. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɡɪnɪs/.
What does "Guinness" mean?
As a proper noun, "Guinness" means: A surname from Irish.
What are common misspellings of "Guinness"?
Common misspellings include "gguinness", "giunness", "guinenss", "guiness", "guinnes". The correct spelling is "Guinness".
How do you pronounce "Guinness"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Guinness" is /ˈɡɪnɪs/. 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 "Guinness"?
An Anglicization of an Irish patronymic surname based on Angus. 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 “Guinness”

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

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