gypsy

/ˈd͡ʒɪp.si/

//ˈd͡ʒɪp.si// noun

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

"gypsy" is a 5-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“gypsy” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #13,926 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#13,926
frequency rank, English
5
letters
9
tracked misspellings
5
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Alternative form of Gypsy (“member of the Romani people”).

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

gypsy vs GPS
0% similar
gypsy vs gaps
60% similar
gypsy vs gyms
60% similar

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

Key facts for gypsy
PropertyValue
Headwordgypsy
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈd͡ʒɪp.si/
Letters5
Frequency rank#13,926
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs5
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “gypsy” 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). gypsy 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 gypsy is 5 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈd͡ʒɪp.si/. Corpus data places it at rank #13,926 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 8 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for gypsy, with forms such as "ggypsy", "gpysy", and "gyppsy". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 5 confusable-pair relationships, "GPS", "gaps", "gyms", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: See Gypsy. Compare bohemian, from Bohemia. The correct English form is gypsy, spelled G-Y-P-S-Y.

Definition

  1. 1
    Alternative form of Gypsy (“member of the Romani people”).
  2. 2
    An itinerant person or any person, not necessarily Romani; a tinker, a traveller or a carny.
  3. 3
    A move in contra dancing in which two dancers walk in a circle around each other while maintaining eye contact (but not touching as in a swing). (Compare whole gyp, half gyp, and gypsy meltdown, in which this step precedes a swing.)
  4. 4
    A member of a Broadway musical chorus line.
  5. 5
    A person with a dark complexion.
  6. 6
    A sly, roguish woman.
  7. 7
    A fortune teller.
  8. 8
    A whitewashed South Asian.

Etymology

See Gypsy. Compare bohemian, from Bohemia.

Synonyms

gyregypgip

This word in other languages

gitano(Español)gitan(Français)Zigeuner(Deutsch)cigano(Português)

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ggypsy,gpysy,gyppsy,gypssy,gypsyy,gypys,gyspy,gyypsy,ygpsy

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of gypsy - measured in single-character edits (insert, delete, or substitute a letter). Larger bars are easier to catch; one-edit slips are the sneakiest.

ggypsy1gpysy2gyppsy1gypssy1gypsyy1gypys2gyspy2gyypsy1
Edit distance from "gypsy"

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 "gypsy"?
"gypsy" is spelled G-Y-P-S-Y. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈd͡ʒɪp.si/.
What does "gypsy" mean?
As a noun, "gypsy" means: Alternative form of Gypsy (“member of the Romani people”).
What words are commonly confused with "gypsy"?
"gypsy" is commonly confused with "GPS", "gaps", "gyms". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "gypsy"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "gypsy" is /ˈd͡ʒɪp.si/. 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 "gypsy"?
See Gypsy. Compare bohemian, from Bohemia. 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 “gypsy”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is G-Y-P-S-Y - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈd͡ʒɪp.si/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “GPS” - see the side-by-side comparison. gypsy vs GPS
  • 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