gypsum

/ˈd͡ʒɪp.səm/

//ˈd͡ʒɪp.səm// noun

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

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

The verdict

“gypsum” has 10 generated spelling variants in the English index at frequency #31,586. The variants make it a useful spelling check.

#31,586
frequency rank, English
2,313
“G” headwords
10
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A mineral consisting of hydrated calcium sulphate. When calcinated, it forms plaster of Paris.

Corpus desk

Index EN-gypsum · gypsum · English

gypsum · rank #31,586 · 10 variants · 1 confusable

  • FREQ-MID #31,586
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-LOW 1 pairs
  • VAR-MID 10 variants
  • BOOK-MID 2,313
  • PHOTO-FINISH gulp

Nearest frequency peer: gulp (-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.

Rank peers near misspelling magnet “gypsum”

Same rarity band: useful when a typo lands on a peer headword

corpus weight

What this shows “gypsum” sits among these FrequencyWords peers; misspelling depth is tracked separately in the edit-distance chart.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

gypsum vs gypsy
67% similar

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

Key facts for gypsum
PropertyValue
Headwordgypsum
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈd͡ʒɪp.səm/
Letters6
Frequency rank#31,586
Misspellings tracked10
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency seat of misspelling magnet “gypsum”

Word frequency stretches from the small set of words we reach for constantly (left) out to the long tail barely used once in a while (right).gypsumlands here:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Same rarity band neighbours include “gulp” (#31,584), “hao” (#31,588), “guardianship” (#31,583). Among 2,313 “G” headwords, “gypsum” is #31,586. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

A misspelling magnet

The generator records 10 spelling variants around gypsum (IPA /ˈd͡ʒɪp.səm/), anoun. Corpus frequency is #31,586 among 2,313 “G” headwords. Dominant gloss: "A mineral consisting of hydrated calcium sulphate. When calcinated, it forms plaster of Paris.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 10 likely wrong-spelling variants for gypsum, with forms such as "ggypsum", "gpysum", and "gyppsum". Each variant is a distinct typo pattern an edit-distance generator flags, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "gypsy", since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin gypsum, from Ancient Greek γύψος (gúpsos). Doublet of gesso. The correct English form is gypsum, spelled G-Y-P-S-U-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    A mineral consisting of hydrated calcium sulphate. When calcinated, it forms plaster of Paris.

Recorded use

Wiktionary example

These source excerpts show how gypsum appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. Besides being abundant, gypsum is easily refined into a powder for plaster or formed into sheets of wallboard.

Etymology

From Latin gypsum, from Ancient Greek γύψος (gúpsos). Doublet of gesso.

Synonyms

plaster-stone

This word in other languages

yeso(Español)gypse(Français)Gips(Deutsch)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as:

  • ggypsum
  • gpysum
  • gyppsum
  • gypsmu
  • gypssum
  • gypsumm
  • gypusm
  • gyspum
  • gyypsum
  • ygpsum

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of gypsum - 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.

ggypsum1gpysum2gyppsum1gypsmu2gypssum1gypsumm1gypusm2gyspum2
Edit distance from "gypsum"

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 "gypsum"?
"gypsum" is spelled G-Y-P-S-U-M. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈd͡ʒɪp.səm/.
What does "gypsum" mean?
As a noun, "gypsum" means: A mineral consisting of hydrated calcium sulphate. When calcinated, it forms plaster of Paris.
What words are commonly confused with "gypsum"?
"gypsum" is commonly confused with "gypsy". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "gypsum"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "gypsum" is /ˈd͡ʒɪp.səm/. 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 "gypsum"?
From Latin gypsum, from Ancient Greek γύψος (gúpsos). Doublet of gesso. 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 "gypsum", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

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

hasten#31,591groans#31,580Hauser#31,592Herbie#31,595

Similar misspelling depth

Headwords with a similar count of attested misspellings (10 here; floor ≥5).

fairway10 variantsembossed10 variantsmacabre10 variantsechelon10 variants

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list