gunmetal

Name: gunmetal, English Word Data
Creator: Wiktionary
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

/ˈɡʌnmɛt(ə)l/

//ˈɡʌnmɛt(ə)l// noun

By PlainSpell Editorial Team · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) · analyzed May 6, 2026

The verdict

“gunmetal” is an uncommon English word, ranked #69,092 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#69,092
frequency rank, English: 8
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A type of bronze used for making cannons.

Key facts for gunmetal
Property	Value
Headword	gunmetal
Language	English
Part of speech	Noun
IPA	/ˈɡʌnmɛt(ə)l/
Letters	8
Frequency rank	#69,092
Misspellings tracked	0
Confusable pairs	0
Source	Wiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “gunmetal” 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). gunmetal lands here:

#69,092

#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 gunmetal is 8 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɡʌnmɛt(ə)l/. Corpus data places it at rank #69,092 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 edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for gunmetal, a sign its spelling follows regular English conventions. We don't track a confusable pairing for this entry, which usually means its spelling is distinct enough that readers don't reach for a similar-looking word instead.

Etymologically, the entry records: From gun + metal. The correct English form is gunmetal, spelled G-U-N-M-E-T-A-L.

Definition

1
A type of bronze used for making cannons.
2
An alloy of 88% copper, 10% tin and 2% zinc, originally used for making guns.
3
A dark grey or bluish-grey colour; gunmetal grey.

Etymology

From gun + metal.

Synonyms

red brassgunmetal gray gunmetal grey

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 "gunmetal"?

"gunmetal" is spelled G-U-N-M-E-T-A-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɡʌnmɛt(ə)l/.

What does "gunmetal" mean?

As a noun, "gunmetal" means: A type of bronze used for making cannons.

How do you pronounce "gunmetal"?

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "gunmetal" is /ˈɡʌnmɛt(ə)l/. 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 "gunmetal"?

From gun + metal. 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 “gunmetal”

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

The one correct English spelling is G-U-N-M-E-T-A-L - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
Say it as /ˈɡʌnmɛt(ə)l/ (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.