gull

/ˈɡʌl/

//ˈɡʌl// noun

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

"gull" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“gull” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #28,938 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#28,938
frequency rank, English
4
letters
3
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A seabird of the genus Larus or of the subfamily Larinae.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

gull vs guy
50% similar
gull vs gun
50% similar
gull vs gut
50% similar

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

Key facts for gull
PropertyValue
Headwordgull
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɡʌl/
Letters4
Frequency rank#28,938
Misspellings tracked3
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “gull” 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). gull 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 gull is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɡʌl/. Corpus data places it at rank #28,938 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 3 likely wrong-spelling variants for gull, with forms such as "ggull", "glul", and "ugll". 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 20 confusable-pair relationships, "guy", "gun", "gut", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Inherited from Middle English gulle, from a Brythonic language (compare Breton gouelan, Welsh gwylan, and Cornish golan), from Proto-Brythonic *gwuɨlann, from Proto-Celtic *weilannā (“seagull”). Cognate with Old Irish foílenn, Scottish Gaelic faoileag. Comp… The correct English form is gull, spelled G-U-L-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    A seabird of the genus Larus or of the subfamily Larinae.
  2. 2
    Any of various pierid butterflies of the genus Cepora.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English gulle, from a Brythonic language (compare Breton gouelan, Welsh gwylan, and Cornish golan), from Proto-Brythonic *gwuɨlann, from Proto-Celtic *weilannā (“seagull”). Cognate with Old Irish foílenn, Scottish Gaelic faoileag. Compare French goéland, a borrowing from Breton. Eclipsed Middle English lare (borrowed from Latin larus) and Middle English mewe (from Old English mæw).

This word in other languages

gaviota(Español)goéland(Français)Möwe(Deutsch)gaivota(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ggull,glul,ugll

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of gull - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

ggull1glul2ugll2
Edit distance from "gull"

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 "gull"?
"gull" is spelled G-U-L-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɡʌl/.
What does "gull" mean?
As a noun, "gull" means: A seabird of the genus Larus or of the subfamily Larinae.
What words are commonly confused with "gull"?
"gull" is commonly confused with "guy", "gun", "gut". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "gull"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "gull" is /ˈɡʌl/. 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 "gull"?
Inherited from Middle English gulle, from a Brythonic language (compare Breton gouelan, Welsh gwylan, and Cornish golan), from Proto-Brythonic *gwuɨlann, from Proto-Celtic *weilannā (“seagull”). Cognate with Old Irish foílenn, Scottish Gaelic faoi... 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 “gull”

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

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