by Jove
"by-jove" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“by Jove” is uncommon English (outside the top frequency list), classed as an interjection. The kind of spelling people second-guess.
- Unranked
- below top-frequency English
- 7
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - Invocation of the Roman god Jupiter.
Corpus desk
Index EN-by-jove · by Jove · English
by Jove · unranked · 0 variants · 0 confusables
- FREQ-UNRANKED Unranked
- LEN-LONG 7 letters
- VOW-3 3 vowels
- CONFUS-0 No pairs
- VAR-0 0 variants
- BOOK-THIN "B" thin
- PHOTO-UNK Peer pending
Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern
Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | by Jove |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Interjection |
| Letters | 7 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “by Jove” sits in English frequency
Rare enough to double-check
by Jove is uncommon English outside the top frequency list, classed as aninterjection. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.
by Jove doesn't appear in our generated misspelling index, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. This headword has no recorded confusable partner, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.
Etymologically, the entry records: From Latin pro Iovem. Ellipsis of a full oath of the form "I swear by Jove that…" Originally a literal oath; later a minced oath. The correct English form is by Jove, spelled B-Y- -J-O-V-E.
Definition
- 1Invocation of the Roman god Jupiter.
- 2minced oath for by God, Jove referring to Jupiter.
Recorded use
Wiktionary examplesThese source excerpts show how by Jove appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.
By Jove, master marchant, by sea or by land / Would get but smale argent if I did not stand / His very good master, I may say to you, / When he hazards in hope what hap will insue.
By Joves help I'l^([sic]) be there.
Etymology
From Latin pro Iovem. Ellipsis of a full oath of the form "I swear by Jove that…" Originally a literal oath; later a minced oath.
Synonyms
This word in other languages
Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.
PlainSpell is rendered directly from structured Wiktionary extracts and open word-frequency lists, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of May 6, 2026. Primary sources: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) and FrequencyWords.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Data Source
Wiktionary (via kaikki.org), licensed under CC BY-SA & GFDL. Word ordering uses an open word-frequency list; misspelling variants are generated by edit-distance from the correct headword.