jab

/d͡ʒæb/

//d͡ʒæb// noun

By · According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA) ·

"jab" is a 3-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“jab” is a moderately-common English word, ranked #18,352 in English word frequency and used as a noun.

#18,352
frequency rank, English
3
letters
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - A quick stab or blow; a poking or thrusting motion.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

How many letter changes separate each confused pair (Levenshtein distance, normalized).

jab vs Jr
0% similar
jab vs jo
33% similar
jab vs JI
0% similar

Source: PlainSpell confusable corpus (Wiktionary, CC BY-SA).

Key facts for jab
PropertyValue
Headwordjab
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/d͡ʒæb/
Letters3
Frequency rank#18,352
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “jab” sits in English frequency

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right). jab lands here:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Spelling & Dictionary Insight

The English entry for jab is 3 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /d͡ʒæb/. Corpus data places it at rank #18,352 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 5 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

No misspelling variants are generated for jab in our index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "Jr", "jo", "JI", and more, where similar look or sound leads writers to substitute one word for another in context.

Etymologically, the entry records: Originally a Scottish (unclear if Scots or Scottish English) form of English job (“peck, poke, thrust”), from Middle English jobben. The correct English form is jab, spelled J-A-B.

Definition

  1. 1
    A quick stab or blow; a poking or thrusting motion.
  2. 2
    A short straight punch.
  3. 3
    A medical hypodermic injection (vaccination or inoculation).
  4. 4
    A vaccination, whether or not delivered by means of a conventional injection.
  5. 5
    A mild verbal insult.

Etymology

Originally a Scottish (unclear if Scots or Scottish English) form of English job (“peck, poke, thrust”), from Middle English jobben.

This word in other languages

directo(Español)jab(Français)Gerade(Deutsch)direto(Português)

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "jab"?
"jab" is spelled J-A-B. The IPA pronunciation is /d͡ʒæb/.
What does "jab" mean?
As a noun, "jab" means: A quick stab or blow; a poking or thrusting motion.
What words are commonly confused with "jab"?
"jab" is commonly confused with "Jr", "jo", "JI". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "jab"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "jab" is /d͡ʒæb/. 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 "jab"?
Originally a Scottish (unclear if Scots or Scottish English) form of English job (“peck, poke, thrust”), from Middle English jobben. 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.

Using “jab”

The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.

  • The one correct English spelling is J-A-B - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /d͡ʒæb/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Jr” - see the side-by-side comparison. jab vs Jr
  • Browse more English words and confusable pairs in the same reference. English words
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.

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list FrequencyWords open word-frequency list