gun

/ˈɡʌn/

//ˈɡʌn// noun

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

"gun" is a 3-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“gun” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #1,168 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#1,168
frequency rank, English
3
letters
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A device for shooting projectiles or ditto (a shooter), functioning through stored energy: a firearm, cannon, harpoon gun/spear gun, raygun, etc, not a bow and arrow, or slingshot.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

gun vs guy
67% similar
gun vs gym
33% similar
gun vs gut
67% similar

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

Key facts for gun
PropertyValue
Headwordgun
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɡʌn/
Letters3
Frequency rank#1,168
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “gun” 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). gun 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 gun is 3 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɡʌn/. Corpus data places it at rank #1,168 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 16 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

No generated misspelling entries exist for gun in our index, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "guy", "gym", "gut", and more, a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English gunne, gonne, possibly from Gunnhild, a female given name formerly used as a nickname for engines of war (compare Nordic Gunn, a female name meaning “battle”). The name is composed of the Norse elements gunnr and hildr, both meaning "bat… The correct English form is gun, spelled G-U-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    A device for shooting projectiles or ditto (a shooter), functioning through stored energy: a firearm, cannon, harpoon gun/spear gun, raygun, etc, not a bow and arrow, or slingshot.
  2. 2
    A device for shooting projectiles or ditto (a shooter), functioning through stored energy: a firearm, cannon, harpoon gun/spear gun, raygun, etc, not a bow and arrow, or slingshot.
  3. 3
    A device for shooting projectiles or ditto (a shooter), functioning through stored energy: a firearm, cannon, harpoon gun/spear gun, raygun, etc, not a bow and arrow, or slingshot.
  4. 4
    A device for shooting projectiles or ditto (a shooter), functioning through stored energy: a firearm, cannon, harpoon gun/spear gun, raygun, etc, not a bow and arrow, or slingshot.
  5. 5
    A device for shooting projectiles or ditto (a shooter), functioning through stored energy: a firearm, cannon, harpoon gun/spear gun, raygun, etc, not a bow and arrow, or slingshot.
  6. 6
    A device for shooting projectiles or ditto (a shooter), functioning through stored energy: a firearm, cannon, harpoon gun/spear gun, raygun, etc, not a bow and arrow, or slingshot.
  7. 7
    A device operated by a trigger and acting in a manner similar to a firearm.
  8. 8
    A device operated by a trigger and acting in a manner similar to a firearm.
  9. 9
    A device operated by a trigger and acting in a manner similar to a firearm.
  10. 10
    A long surfboard designed for surfing big waves (not the same as a longboard, a gun has a pointed nose and is generally a little narrower).
  11. 11
    A pattern that "fires" out other patterns.
  12. 12
    A person who carries or uses a gun (rifle, shotgun or handgun), particularly with reference to how quickly the person can draw and fire the gun.
  13. 13
    An electron gun.
  14. 14
    The biceps.
  15. 15
    Violent blasts of wind.
  16. 16
    Someone excellent, surpassingly wonderful, skilful, or cool.

Etymology

From Middle English gunne, gonne, possibly from Gunnhild, a female given name formerly used as a nickname for engines of war (compare Nordic Gunn, a female name meaning “battle”). The name is composed of the Norse elements gunnr and hildr, both meaning "battle".

This word in other languages

pistola(Español)flingue(Français)Pistole(Deutsch)pistola(Português)

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 "gun"?
"gun" is spelled G-U-N. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɡʌn/.
What does "gun" mean?
As a noun, "gun" means: A device for shooting projectiles or ditto (a shooter), functioning through stored energy: a firearm, cannon, harpoon gun/spear gun, raygun, etc, not a bow and arrow, or slingshot.
What words are commonly confused with "gun"?
"gun" is commonly confused with "guy", "gym", "gut". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "gun"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "gun" is /ˈɡʌn/. 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 "gun"?
From Middle English gunne, gonne, possibly from Gunnhild, a female given name formerly used as a nickname for engines of war (compare Nordic Gunn, a female name meaning “battle”). The name is composed of the Norse elements gunnr and hildr, both me... 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 “gun”

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

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