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blackjack

Definition, pronunciation, etymology, and usage for the English word. Free spelling reference powered by Wiktionary.

Letters

9 characters

Language

English

word origin

Source

Wiktionary

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Detailed reference entry for the English word "blackjack", 9-letters, with pronunciation in International Phonetic Alphabet notation, etymology traced through Germanic and Romance roots where applicable, common misspelling variants catalogued from Hunspell error dictionaries, and usage frequency ranked against the top 100,000 English words in the Wordfreq corpus. PlainSpell covers English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and German spelling with confusable-pair detection that highlights visually and phonetically similar words. This entry for "blackjack" includes synonyms, antonyms, homophones, and cross-language translation pointers sourced from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org extract. Whether you are verifying the correct spelling of "blackjack" for academic writing, checking homophone confusion, or exploring etymological origins, this page provides a citation-backed, free reference that requires no sign-up.

blackjack is aEnglishnoun. It means: A common gambling card game in casinos, where the object is to get as close to 21 without going over. Pronounced /ˈblækd͡ʒæk/. Often confused with backpack and blackface.

Key facts for blackjack
PropertyValue
Headwordblackjack
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈblækd͡ʒæk/
Letters9
Frequency rank#23,475
Misspellings tracked15
Confusable pairs2
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Frequency rank visualization

Position of blackjack in English word frequency (lower rank = more common)

Source: Wordfreq corpus

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for blackjack is 9 letters long, classified as anoun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈblækd͡ʒæk/. Corpus data places it at rank #23,475 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it.Wiktionary records 11 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

Our Hunspell-derived misspelling index lists 15 documented wrong-spelling variants for blackjack, with forms such as "balckjack", "bblackjack", and "blacckjack". Each variant represents a distinct typo pattern that appears often enough in corpora to be worth flagging, typically a doubled-consonant error, a silent-letter drop, or a vowel substitution.It also participates in 2 confusable-pair relationships, "backpack", "blackface", where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: From black + jack. Root origin matters for spelling because borrowed morphemes (Greek, Latin, Old French, Old English) carry their source-language orthographic conventions into modern English, which is why historical etymology is often the cleanest predictor of whether a cluster like "-ough", "-eau", or "-tion" will appear. For readers arriving here from a spelling check, the authoritative guidance is: the correct English form is blackjack, spelled B-L-A-C-K-J-A-C-K, and any other sequence of those letters, regardless of how natural it feels, is a misspelling in standard orthography.

Definition

  1. 1
    A common gambling card game in casinos, where the object is to get as close to 21 without going over.
  2. 2
    A hand in the game of blackjack consisting of a face card and an ace.
  3. 3
    A variant of switch where each player is initially dealt the same number of cards, usually seven, and when one player plays a black jack the player whose turn comes next has to pick up that many cards, unless they play a red jack (as this normally cancels a black jack).
  4. 4
    A variant of hearts where the Jack of Spades is the penalty card.
  5. 5
    The flag (i.e., a jack) traditionally flown by pirate ships; popularly thought to be a white skull and crossed bones on a black field (the Jolly Roger).
  6. 6
    A small, flat, blunt, usually leather-covered weapon loaded with heavy material such as lead or ball bearings, intended to inflict a blow to the head that renders the victim unconscious with diminished risk of lasting cranial trauma.
  7. 7
    A tool of leather filled with shot (or similar), resembling the weapon, used for shaping sheet metal.
  8. 8
    Any of several species of weed of genus Bidens, such as Bidens pilosa, in the family Compositae.
  9. 9
    Ellipsis of blackjack oak.
  10. 10
    Any of a series of hard, dark soils, often considered low quality, but suitable for growing certain crops such as cotton.
  11. 11
    Ammonium bituminosulfonate.

Etymology

From black + jack.

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: balckjack,bblackjack,blacckjack,blacjkack,blackajck,blackjacck,blackjackk,blackjakc,blackjcak,blackjjack,blackkjack,blakcjack,blcakjack,bllackjack,lbackjack

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

Relative frequency of common misspelling types for blackjack

Misspelling Variants of "blackjack"

balckjack9bblackjack10blacckjack10blacjkack9blackajck9blackjacck10blackjackk10blackjakc9
Misspelling Variants of "blackjack"

Frequency rank: #23,475 in English

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "blackjack"?
"blackjack" is spelled B-L-A-C-K-J-A-C-K. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈblækd͡ʒæk/.
What does "blackjack" mean?
As a noun, "blackjack" means: A common gambling card game in casinos, where the object is to get as close to 21 without going over.
What words are commonly confused with "blackjack"?
"blackjack" is commonly confused with "backpack", "blackface". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "blackjack"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "blackjack" is /ˈblækd͡ʒæk/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "blackjack"?
From black + jack. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Nearby English words

Other entries that begin with the letter B in our English index:

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Data Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Frequency data from Wordfreq. Misspellings derived from Hunspell dictionaries.