Jinx or jynx?
jinx is a noun meaning “A hex; an evil spell”; jynx is a noun meaning “A bird, the wryneck, once thought a bird of ill omen (Jynx torquilla)”. They sound the same (/d͡ʒɪŋks/). In written English (wordfreq, 2021 data) jinx is about 10 times as common as jynx.
What is the difference between jinx and jynx?
| jinx | jynx | |
|---|---|---|
| Part of speech | noun, verb, interjection | noun |
| Meaning | A hex; an evil spell A person or thing supposed to bring bad luck To cast a spell on | A bird, the wryneck, once thought a bird of ill omen (Jynx torquilla) A charm or spell |
| Example | none recorded | Its sharp and harsh cry, resembling a repetition of 'Jynx', 'Jynx', 'Jynx' |
| Forms | jinxes | jynges |
| Pronunciation | /d͡ʒɪŋks/ | /d͡ʒɪŋks/ |
| In writing | 1.4 times per million words | about once in every 8 million words |
Sources: jinx and jynx in the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0); written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
Every current meaning of jinx and jynx
jinx
- 1
A hex; an evil spell
- 2
To cast a spell on
- 3
Used after the same thing is said by two people simultaneously
- 4
A person or thing supposed to bring bad luck
- 5
To bring bad luck to
- 6
To cause something to happen by mentioning it. Often used sarcastically
- 7
To cause a bad outcome through verbal expression of certainty about a good situation or result. See knocking on wood, which is supposed to mitigate this effect
jynx
- 1
A bird, the wryneck, once thought a bird of ill omen (Jynx torquilla)
Its sharp and harsh cry, resembling a repetition of 'Jynx', 'Jynx', 'Jynx'
- 2
A charm or spell
These are the Philtres, Allurements, Jynges, Inveiglements [les philtres, iynges, et attraictz], Baits, and Enticements of Love
- 3
One of an order of spiritual intelligences in ancient “Chaldaic” philosophy
Source: the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0); obsolete, archaic, dialect and rare senses left out.
Which is more common, jinx or jynx?
jinx appears 1.4 times per million words; jynx about once in every 8 million words.
jinx 1.4 times per million wordsjynx about once in every 8 million words
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How many people search jinx vs jynx?
“jinx vs jynx” is searched about 170 times a month on Google and 10 on Bing in the United States. Google counts close variants of a query together (“jynx vs jinx”, “jinx or jynx”).
Sources: Google Ads keyword data through DataForSEO and Microsoft Advertising keyword data through DataForSEO, the average month from September 2025 to August 2026.