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gutter

Definition, pronunciation, etymology, and usage for the English word. Free spelling reference powered by Wiktionary.

Letters

6 characters

Language

English

word origin

Source

Wiktionary

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Detailed reference entry for the English word "gutter", 6-letters, with pronunciation in International Phonetic Alphabet notation, etymology traced through Germanic and Romance roots where applicable, common misspelling variants catalogued from Hunspell error dictionaries, and usage frequency ranked against the top 100,000 English words in the Wordfreq corpus. PlainSpell covers English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German spelling with confusable-pair detection that highlights visually and phonetically similar words. This entry for "gutter" includes synonyms, antonyms, homophones, and cross-language translation pointers sourced from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org extract. Whether you are verifying the correct spelling of "gutter" for academic writing, checking homophone confusion, or exploring etymological origins, this page provides a citation-backed, free reference that requires no sign-up.

gutter is aEnglishnoun. It means: A prepared channel in a surface, especially at the side of a road adjacent to a curb, intended for the drainage of water. Pronounced /ˈɡʌt.ə/. Often confused with guitar and gotten.

Key facts for gutter
PropertyValue
Headwordgutter
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈɡʌt.ə/
Letters6
Frequency rank#17,624
Misspellings tracked7
Confusable pairs10
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency rank visualization

Position of gutter in English word frequency (lower rank = more common)

Source: Wordfreq corpus

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for gutter is 6 letters long, classified as anoun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈɡʌt.ə/. Corpus data places it at rank #17,624 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it.Wiktionary records 13 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our Hunspell-derived misspelling index lists 7 documented wrong-spelling variants for gutter, with forms such as "ggutter", "gtuter", and "guter". Each variant represents a distinct typo pattern that appears often enough in corpora to be worth flagging, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution.It also participates in 10 confusable-pair relationships, "guitar", "gotten", "gather", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English gutter, guttur, goter, from Anglo-Norman guttere, from Old French goutiere (French gouttière), ultimately from Latin gutta (“drop”). Root origin matters for spelling because borrowed morphemes (Greek, Latin, Old French, Old English) carry their source-language orthographic conventions into modern English, which is why historical etymology is often the cleanest predictor of whether a cluster like "-ough", "-eau", or "-tion" will appear. For readers arriving here from a spelling check, the authoritative guidance is: the correct English form is gutter, spelled G-U-T-T-E-R, and any other sequence of those letters, regardless of how natural it feels, is a misspelling in standard orthography.

Definition

  1. 1
    A prepared channel in a surface, especially at the side of a road adjacent to a curb, intended for the drainage of water.
  2. 2
    A ditch along the side of a road.
  3. 3
    A duct or channel beneath the eaves of a building to carry rain water; eavestrough.
  4. 4
    A groove down the sides of a bowling lane.
  5. 5
    A large groove (commonly behind animals) in a barn used for the collection and removal of animal excrement.
  6. 6
    Any narrow channel or groove, such as one formed by erosion in the vent of a gun from repeated firing.
  7. 7
    A space between printed columns of text.
  8. 8
    One of a number of pieces of wood or metal, grooved in the centre, used to separate the pages of type in a form.
  9. 9
    An unprinted space between rows of stamps.
  10. 10
    A drainage channel.
  11. 11
    The notional locus of things, acts, or events that are distasteful, ill-bred, or morally questionable.
  12. 12
    A low, vulgar state.
  13. 13
    A space between comic strip panels.

Etymology

From Middle English gutter, guttur, goter, from Anglo-Norman guttere, from Old French goutiere (French gouttière), ultimately from Latin gutta (“drop”).

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ggutter,gtuter,guter,gutetr,gutterr,guttre,ugtter

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

Relative frequency of common misspelling types for gutter

Misspelling Variants of "gutter"

ggutter7gtuter6guter5gutetr6gutterr7guttre6ugtter6
Misspelling Variants of "gutter"

Frequency rank: #17,624 in English

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "gutter"?
"gutter" is spelled G-U-T-T-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈɡʌt.ə/.
What does "gutter" mean?
As a noun, "gutter" means: A prepared channel in a surface, especially at the side of a road adjacent to a curb, intended for the drainage of water.
What words are commonly confused with "gutter"?
"gutter" is commonly confused with "guitar", "gotten", "gather". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "gutter"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "gutter" is /ˈɡʌt.ə/. 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 "gutter"?
From Middle English gutter, guttur, goter, from Anglo-Norman guttere, from Old French goutiere (French gouttière), ultimately from Latin gutta (“drop”). 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.

Nearby English words

Other entries that begin with the letter G in our English index:

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Data Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Frequency data from Wordfreq. Misspellings derived from Hunspell dictionaries.