English spellings/Catalogs/G
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| Common misspellings |
This page lists pronunciations of English words that begin with G. To see a different letter navigate with the table above. The apostrophe is treated as the last letter of the alphabet, after Z.
For a pronunciation key, click on the blue "Catalogs" link below the article title.[e]
G = gêe up
Gabón
Gâbriel male
Gabriélle female
Gáby (from German, where only one 'b' is required, cf. bâby) = Gábby
Gaddáfi, Gaddàfi is probably the most common of many spellings
gádfly one word
Gâelic Irish
Gáelic Scottish = Gállic French
gáff fish, plot = gáffe mistake, cf. gúff nonsense
gág
gâge is an AmE alternative to gâuge
gâit walk = gâte garden
gál girl, cf. gåll, etc.
gàla BrE; AmE gâla, gála
Galápagos - identical Spanish accent may be written
gâle storm = Gâil = Gâle = Gâyle persons = Gâel Gaelic
Galícia may rhyme with Patrícia (-ísha), but, being much rarer, is more often pronounced with the -ci- (-si-) sound
Gálilee
gåll bladder, courage = Gålle Sri Lanka = Gåul France, cf. gál
Gállic, see Gaelic
gállop horse = Gállup poll
gámble money = gámbol frisky
gánder
Gándhi *Gándy, cf. cándy and gh- words
Gángês -njêez, -njíz
gâol BrE old alternative spelling of, and pronounced the same as jâil
gárage BrE *gárràzh or *gárràj, and even *gárríj/*gárrídge, long frowned upon, is now heard on BBC News
garàge AmE *gəràzh
gàrdener garden = Gàrdiner = Gàrdner persons
Gáreth
gàrgoyle
gàrner gather = Gàrner person; BrE = Ghàna country
garótte, garrótte; AmE only garróte
gárret = Gárrett
Gáry hard G, cf. Gérry = Jérry; cf. Hárry, Cãry, Gáby (hard G)
gáses noun = gásses verb
gâte open = gâit walk
gàùcho
gâuge *gâij, AmE can be gâge; cf. grêengage
Gauguin *Gôgá, á nasalised
gåuze
Gávin
gåwky = BrE Gŏrky
gâze look = gâys
Gbágbo *Bágbô
gêar = Gêre, hard g
gécko
gêe, gêez, from Jêsus, soft g
gêese, hard g: plural of goôse
gêezer, hard g
Geîger còunter - hard G
gèisha - hard g
gél = jéll alternative spelling of verb = Géll
Géminî Jé-
gêne genetics = Jêan girl = Gêne Eugene; gênes = jêans trousers
genealógical jê-
géneral *jénral
genéric j-
génerous j-
generósity j-
gênes genetics = jêans trousers, cf. Jêan woman (but French man Jean pronounced *Zhà with nasalised à)
geneálogy jê-
genétics j-
gêniê lamp = Jêan(n)iê person
gênìî *jênêî
genitâlia jé-
génitive jé-
gênius j-, cf. ingênious
Génoa J-
genre *zhónrə
gentêel j-, cf. Géntîle
géntle j-
gênus j-
gêô- j-
Géoff = Jéff
Géoffrey = Jéffrey
geográphic jêə-
geógraphy jóg- in rapid speech, cf. geólogy *gê-ólogy
Geŏrge Jŏr-, cf. gŏrge
Gérald J-
Géràrd J-
Gërman J-
germâne relevant = Germâine, Jermâin, etc. persons
gërminate j-
Gérry = Jérry cf. Gáry, hard G
gétaway adjective and noun one word, cf. verb gét awây
geŵgaw - hard gs
gêyser water in BrE = gêezer man, in AmE geŷser
gh- = g-
Ghàna Africa = BrE gàrner gather, and makes a minimal pair with Gàza
Ghanâian
*Ghándi Gándhi
ghāstly
ghåt or ghåut
ghërkin
ghétto
ghôst
"ghoti", see goatêe
ghoûl = Goôle
gíbbet j-
gíbbon hard g
Gídêon hard G, *Gídêyən
gíg hard g, cf. jíg
gígolo jíg-
Gìla monster = BrE hêaler heal
Gílbert hard G
gíll fish hard g, as also in McGíll person
gíll liquid = Jíll = Gíll = Gíl persons
Gíll Sáns hard G
Gíllian makes a minimal pair with Júlian
Gíllàrd hard G
gílt gild = guílt guilty
gímmick rhymes with mímic
gín drink, rummy = djínn, jínn genie *jín
gípsy is a chiely British variant of gýpsy
giráffe j-
Gìsela, hard G
Giûffrê *Jûfri
glâcial
glácier or glâcier
glâde
Gládys
glámorise
glámorous
glámour
glêam
glêan
glén valley = Glén = Glénn
Gliêse *Glêeza
glôat
Glóucester *Glóster
glûtinous
glútton
Glŷndebŏurne
glýph makes a minimal pair with clíff, Clíff
gnàrled *nàrld
gnásh teeth = Násh person
gnát insect = Nát person
gnåw chew = BrE nor neither
gnócchì *nyóckey
gnôme garden = Nôme Alaska
gô come = Gô game (though other board games do not normally require the capital)
gô-ahéad noun, adjective hyphenated
gôad
gôalless: sustained l sound
gôat cf. côat
goatêe beard, cf. "ghoti", a nonsense word designed to highlight the absurdities of English spelling, pronunced the same as físh, as in enoúgh women milítia (*enúF wÍmmin milíSHa)
góbbledygoòk
góddéss; may be goddéss in contrast to gód
gódsend one word
gŏitre BrE; AmE gŏiter
gôlf cf. gúlf
Gomórrah rhymes with BrE Andórra
góndola
góne
góner fatal
gonna going to two schwas: *gənə
Goôch
goòd
Goôdge Strêet
goodsélf one word
goôgle verb no capital
goôgly
goòseberry *gùzbry
goôse *goôss
Gorbachev -chóff
gorílla ape = guerílla warfare
goûlash
gŏurmet *gŏrmây
gòvern
gòvernment - first n silent in rapid speech
Grâeme *Grâyəm = BrE Grâham most common spelling = Grâhame Kenneth
Gráham AmE, Grâham BrE: see Grâeme, grám
graffìti
grám = grámme weight = Grám staining (as in Grám-pósitive, Grám-négative) = AmE gráham = AmE Gráham
grámmar
grammátical grə-
grámophone (sounds like BrE "grámmar phône"; cf. Deutsche Grammophon)
grándad or gránddad - dd can be extended d sound; as name, G-
grándchîld
gránddaughter *grándåwter
grándeûr *grándûre
grandiôse -ôz
grándmà
grandmāster one word
grándpà
Grànd Prìx *gràm-prì
grānt = Grānt, cf. gránd
gráphic rhymes with tráffic
grâte cheese, fire, annoy = grêat important
grâteful
grâve serious, burial = gràve accent
grávity
gravure
grâvy
grây is AmE for grèy
grâze sheep = grèys grey, cf. gràss
grêase oil = Grêece Greek
greât big = grâte cheese, fireplace, irritate, cf. grêet
greât-gránddaughter etc. have the option of a hyphen or two separate words: the hyphen seems preferable, to avoid suggestion of greât as an approbatory adjective
Grêaves = griêves
Grêek
grêen colour = Grêen, Grêene persons
Gréenwich *Grénnídge
grêet hello cf. greât
Gréig = Grég, cf. Griêg
Grenâda cf. Granàda
grenâde
grèy BrE; AmE grây = Grèy = Grây persons
grèyhòund one word
grídlock one word
grìêf
Grìêg composer, cf. Gréig
gríll food, interrogate = grílle lattice
grimâce BrE, AmE grímace
grînd
grísly horrible = grízzly bear
grôan pain = grôwn up
Groèning Matt *Grâyning
grŏin body = grŏyne wood
grôss cf. grôwth
Grôsvenor *Grôvener
gròuch
Gròucho
gròundbreâking one word
gròundswell one word
gròundwork one word
grôwn-úp noun, adjective hyphenated
grŏyne water = grŏin body
grûel
grûesome *grûsəm
gu- followed by vowel, hard g, silent u, unless stated otherwise
Guà- Gwà- as in Guadeloûpe, Guàm, Guatemàla
Guadelajàra *Gwadələhàra
Guantánamo can have identical Spanish accent; usually Gwá-
guarantêe gá-, cf. ẁarranty
guàrd *gàrd = gàrde in ávant gàrde
Guedè Rudy *Gədây
guerílla or guerrílla warfare = gorílla animal
Guërnica *Gürníca is the usual pronunciation of Picasso's painting, though, especially when referring to the town, some prefer *Gurnìca, a more Basque pronunciation
Guërnsey *Gürnsey
guéss
guésswork one word
guést visit = guéssed guess
gúff cf. gáffe
Guiāna *Guì-āna, cf. Guyāna *Guŷ-āna
guîde
guíld society = gíld lily
Guíldford *Gílford (hard G, rhyming with Ílford)
guíllotìne - either stressed
guílt guilty = gílt gild
Guínêa country = guínêa money, forming a minimal pair with Gínny Virginia J-
Guínêa Bissàù
guîse = guŷs
gúlf cf. gôlf
gún = Gúnn
gúng-hô
gúnwale = gúnnell
Gürkha - kh as k
gùru
guŷ
Guyāna *Guŷ-āna, cf. Guiāna *Guì-āna
Gwýnedd = Gwýneth, or dd as dh
Gýllenhåal J-
gým gymnasium = Jím person
gynaecólogist hard g-: *gŷnəcólojist; AmE -nec-
gýpsy = BrE gípsy
gyrâte *jî-râte
gÿrfalcon, gërfalcon jërfål- or jërfál-
gŷroscope j-