# jerk vs jerky

> English confusable word pair

## The two words

### jerk
*noun · IPA /ˈd͡ʒɜːk/ · frequency rank #7,148*
A sudden, often uncontrolled movement, especially of the human body.

### jerky
*adjective · IPA /ˈd͡ʒɜːki/ · frequency rank #25,438*
Characterized by physical jerking, or by sudden and uneven progress.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/vs/jerk-vs-jerky