gusset

/ˈɡʌsɪt/

//ˈɡʌsɪt// noun

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

"gusset" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“gusset” is uncommon English (frequency #87,343 among 2,313 “G” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#87,343
frequency rank, English
2,313
“G” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A small piece of cloth inserted in a garment, for the purpose of strengthening some part or giving it a tapering enlargement cf. godet.

Corpus desk

Index EN-gusset · gusset · English

gusset · rank #87,343 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #87,343
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,313
  • PHOTO-FINISH GWR

Nearest frequency peer: GWR (+2 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “gusset”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “gusset” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for gusset
PropertyValue
Headwordgusset
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɡʌsɪt/
Letters6
Frequency rank#87,343
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “gusset” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).gussetfalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “GWR” (#87,345), “gyal” (#87,346), “grosz” (#87,339). Among 2,313 “G” headwords, “gusset” is #87,343. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

gusset is uncommon English at frequency #87,343 among 2,313 “G” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /ˈɡʌsɪt/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 6 senses are on record.

gusset has no tracked misspelling variants, a straightforward case of a spelling with little room for common typos. Our dataset records no confusable match here, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English gusset, gysset, from Old French gosset, gousset (“the hollow of the armpit”), diminutive of gose, gosse (“bean pod, hull, husk”). The correct English form is gusset, spelled G-U-S-S-E-T.

Definition

  1. 1
    A small piece of cloth inserted in a garment, for the purpose of strengthening some part or giving it a tapering enlargement cf. godet.
  2. 2
    A gousset, a piece of mail providing protection where armor plates meet.
  3. 3
    A kind of bracket, or angular part, fastened in the angles of a structure to give strength or stiffness; especially, the part joining the barrel and the fire box of a locomotive boiler.
  4. 4
    An ordinary on a coat of arms, resembling a gusset (see usage notes).
  5. 5
    A large flat metal piece wider than the valley to help prevent build-up at the base of the valley, either from debris or ice dam formations.
  6. 6
    An intercellular space at an angle where more than two cells meet.

Etymology

From Middle English gusset, gysset, from Old French gosset, gousset (“the hollow of the armpit”), diminutive of gose, gosse (“bean pod, hull, husk”).

This word in other languages

gousset(Français)Zwickel(Deutsch)

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 "gusset"?
"gusset" is spelled G-U-S-S-E-T. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɡʌsɪt/.
What does "gusset" mean?
As a noun, "gusset" means: A small piece of cloth inserted in a garment, for the purpose of strengthening some part or giving it a tapering enlargement cf. godet.
How do you pronounce "gusset"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "gusset" is /ˈɡʌsɪt/. 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 "gusset"?
From Middle English gusset, gysset, from Old French gosset, gousset (“the hollow of the armpit”), diminutive of gose, gosse (“bean pod, hull, husk”). 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "gusset", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Heebie#87,359Himmel#87,364Hirose#87,365hooter#87,373

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list