English spellings/Catalogs/G

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Use in English
Alphabetical word list
Retroalphabetical list
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]

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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

gallimåufry

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

Gibråltar J-

Gídêon hard G, *Gídêyən

GÍF hard G- or J-

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-