Guage or Gauge: Which Is Correct?

"Guage" is not the correct spelling. There is no such word as guage. The correct spelling is "gauge."

"Gauge" is a versatile word used when you need to measure, assess, or determine the extent or size of something, whether it's with a physical instrument or by making a judgment based on observation or evaluation. Its primary definition is as follows:

As a noun, "gauge" refers to a measuring instrument or a standard of measurement. It is used to determine the size, amount, or extent of something. For example, a fuel gauge in a car shows how much fuel is in the tank, and a rain gauge measures the amount of rainfall.
As a verb, "gauge" means to assess, measure, or estimate something. When you gauge something, you are trying to determine its size, quantity, or level. For instance, a teacher might gauge students' understanding of a topic by asking them questions, or a supervisor might gauge an employee's performance during a review.
Additionally, "gauge" is used in various contexts, such as railways, where it refers to the distance between the rails, or in the context of thickness or diameter of materials.

Through the Google Books Ngram Viewer, we can see that gauge has a much higher use than its misspelling guage in Google’s database of published books in both American and British English since the year 1800.

The spelling "guage" instead of "gauge" is likely a result of a common spelling mistake. It may occur because some words in English do contain the letter combination "gua," such as guard and guarantee, so someone might mistakenly think that "guage" is the correct spelling.

Example sentences using "gauge"

The carpenter used a measuring gauge to ensure the boards were cut to the correct length.
The temperature gauge on the oven indicated that it had reached 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
The government conducts surveys to gauge public opinion on various issues.
The company used customer feedback to gauge satisfaction with their products and services.
The teacher used a quiz to gauge the students' understanding of the lesson.
The meteorologist used weather gauges to track changes in atmospheric pressure.
The engineers carefully measured the gauge of the wires to ensure they met safety standards.
His reaction to the news will gauge how important it is to him.
The fashion designer used a dress form as a gauge while creating the new collection.
The width of the river was too deep to ford, so they used a depth gauge to find a safe crossing point.

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