gain

\ɡɛ̃\

/\ɡɛ̃\/ noun

The verdict

“gain” is a regularly-used French word, ranked #4,762 in French word frequency and used as a noun.

#4,762
frequency rank, French
4
letters
5
tracked misspellings
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Profit que l’on tire d’une entreprise, d’un travail, d’un commerce, d’une vente, etc.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

gain vs GN
0% similar
gain vs gif
50% similar
gain vs gap
50% similar

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

Key facts for gain
PropertyValue
Headwordgain
LanguageFrench
Part of speechNoun
IPA\ɡɛ̃\
Letters4
Frequency rank#4,762
Misspellings tracked5
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “gain” sits in French 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). gain 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 French entry for gain is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as \ɡɛ̃\. Corpus data places it at rank #4,762 in overall French word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. Wiktionary records 4 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our generated misspelling index lists 5 likely wrong-spelling variants for gain, with forms such as "agin", "gainn", and "gani". Each of these forms differs from the correct spelling by one small edit: a doubled letter, a dropped silent letter, or a substituted vowel. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "GN", "gif", "gap", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

No borrowing history is documented for this entry, leaving phoneme-to-grapheme mapping as the best guide to its spelling rather than a borrowing history. The correct French form is gain, spelled G-A-I-N.

Definition

  1. 1
    Profit que l’on tire d’une entreprise, d’un travail, d’un commerce, d’une vente, etc.
  2. 2
    Succès, victoire, avantage que l’on a dans une entreprise, dans une affaire.
  3. 3
    Rapport entre la valeur d'entrée et celle de sortie de la tension, de l’intensité ou de la puissance d’un montage. Il est généralement exprimé en décibel.
  4. 4
    Capacité d’amplification d’une antenne.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: agin,gainn,gani,ggain,gian

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

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

agin2gainn1gani2ggain1gian2
Edit distance from "gain"

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 French corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "gain"?
"gain" is spelled G-A-I-N. The IPA pronunciation is \ɡɛ̃\.
What does "gain" mean?
As a noun, "gain" means: Profit que l’on tire d’une entreprise, d’un travail, d’un commerce, d’une vente, etc.
What words are commonly confused with "gain"?
"gain" is commonly confused with "GN", "gif", "gap". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "gain"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "gain" is \ɡɛ̃\. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What language does "gain" come from?
"gain" is a French word. PlainSpell covers definitions, pronunciations, and spelling data across English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German.
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 “gain”

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

  • The one correct French spelling is G-A-I-N - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as \ɡɛ̃\ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “GN” - see the side-by-side comparison. gain vs GN
  • Browse more French words and confusable pairs in the same reference. French 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