jabber

/ˈd͡ʒæbə(ɹ)/

//ˈd͡ʒæbə(ɹ)// verb

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

"jabber" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“jabber” is an uncommon English word, ranked #69,972 in English word frequency and used as a verb.

#69,972
frequency rank, English
6
letters

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - To talk rapidly, indistinctly, or unintelligibly; to utter gibberish or nonsense.

Key facts for jabber
PropertyValue
Headwordjabber
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈd͡ʒæbə(ɹ)/
Letters6
Frequency rank#69,972
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “jabber” 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). jabber 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 jabber is 6 letters long, classified as a verb, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /ˈd͡ʒæbə(ɹ)/. Corpus data places it at rank #69,972 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 2 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.

No generated misspelling entries exist for jabber in our index, since its letter sequence doesn't invite the usual edit-distance slips. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since nothing in our dataset looks or sounds close enough to cause mix-ups.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English jaberen, javeren, chaveren (“to chatter, babble”), dissimilated forms of jablen, chavelen (“to jabber”), from Middle English chavel ("jaw"; > modern English jowl). Equivalent to jowl + -er (iterative suffix). The correct English form is jabber, spelled J-A-B-B-E-R.

Definition

  1. 1
    To talk rapidly, indistinctly, or unintelligibly; to utter gibberish or nonsense.
  2. 2
    To utter rapidly or indistinctly; to gabble.

Etymology

From Middle English jaberen, javeren, chaveren (“to chatter, babble”), dissimilated forms of jablen, chavelen (“to jabber”), from Middle English chavel ("jaw"; > modern English jowl). Equivalent to jowl + -er (iterative suffix).

This word in other languages

farfullar(Español)jacasser(Français)plappern(Deutsch)

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 "jabber"?
"jabber" is spelled J-A-B-B-E-R. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈd͡ʒæbə(ɹ)/.
What does "jabber" mean?
As a verb, "jabber" means: To talk rapidly, indistinctly, or unintelligibly; to utter gibberish or nonsense.
How do you pronounce "jabber"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "jabber" is /ˈd͡ʒæbə(ɹ)/. 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 "jabber"?
From Middle English jaberen, javeren, chaveren (“to chatter, babble”), dissimilated forms of jablen, chavelen (“to jabber”), from Middle English chavel ("jaw"; > modern English jowl). Equivalent to jowl + -er (iterative suffix). 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 “jabber”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is J-A-B-B-E-R - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /ˈd͡ʒæbə(ɹ)/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • 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