Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

gosh

/ɡɑːʃ/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.90 in modern English

Syllables: gosh
IPA: /ɡɑːʃ/

8

Scrabble Score

4

Letters

1

Syllables

4

Unique Chars

Meaning

intj

A mild expression of surprise or enthusiasm.

name

Initialism of Great Ormond Street Hospital.

name

Example Sentences

"Gosh, I didn’t realize I’d cause so much trouble!"
"Gosh, I’d love to go to that concert!"

Etymology

Altered from God. First seen in 1757 as by gosh, probably from by gosse in Nicholas Udall's Ralph Roister Doister (circa 1553).

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ɡɑːʃ/
British English: /ɡɒʃ/

Derived Forms

goshawful goshdang goshdangit goshdarn goshdarnit goshwow goshwowboyoboy ohmygosh

Phrases

by gosh by guess or by gosh for gosh sake freaking gosh golly gosh gosh all hemlock gosh-awful gosh darn

Frequently Paired Words

damn

Synonyms

adzooks ay caramba mirabile dictu chihuahua begorra bleeding heck bleeding Nora bless my heart bless my soul bless us blige

Rhymes With

wash josh squash posh bosh tosh prakash awash ghosh panache osh dosh

Questions

How do you pronounce gosh?: The recorded pronunciation is /ɡɑːʃ/.
What does gosh mean?: A mild expression of surprise or enthusiasm.
Where does gosh come from?: Altered from God. First seen in 1757 as by gosh, probably from by gosse in Nicholas Udall's Ralph Roister Doister (circa 1553).

How to pronounce gosh

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “gosh”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ɡɑːʃ/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “gosh”.
Repeat and practice — Say “gosh” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.