jam

/ˈd͡ʒæm/

//ˈd͡ʒæm// noun

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

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

The verdict

“jam” sits in 20 confusable pairs (corpus #5,426) as a noun. The look-alike neighbours are the real trap.

#5,426
frequency rank, English
796
“J” headwords
20
confusable pairs

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - A sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar and allowed to congeal. Often spread on bread or toast or used in jam tarts

Corpus desk

Index EN-jam · jam · English

jam · rank #5,426 · 0 variants · 20 confusables

  • FREQ-COMMON #5,426
  • LEN-MID 3 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-HIGH 20 pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 796
  • PHOTO-FINISH jake

Nearest frequency peer: jake (-1 rank slots)

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.

Frequency neighbours of confusable “jam”

Peers at similar corpus weight, separate from look-alike pairs below

corpus weight

What this shows Bars place “jam” against nearest ranked English headwords, not a reprint of the confusable-pair desk.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

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

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

Key facts for jam
PropertyValue
Headwordjam
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/ˈd͡ʒæm/
Letters3
Frequency rank#5,426
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs20
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Corpus rank beside confusables of “jam”

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

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

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Same rarity band neighbours include “jake” (#5,425), “Jamie” (#5,427), “invented” (#5,424). Among 796 “J” headwords, “jam” is #5,426. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Easy to mix with look-alikes

The spelling risk for jam is neighbouring look-alikes ("Jr", "jo", …), not just typos; it is anoun pronounced /ˈd͡ʒæm/. Frequency #5,426 among 796 “J” headwords. 16 recorded senses keep meaning in play.

Our edit-distance generator produced no likely misspellings for jam, suggesting the orthography follows predictable English patterns. It also participates in 20 confusable-pair relationships, "Jr", "jo", "JI", and more, since the words sound or look close enough that writers reach for the wrong one mid-sentence.

Etymologically, the entry records: First attested in the early 18th c. as a verb meaning “to press, be pressed, be wedged in”. Compare dialectal jammock (“to press, squeeze, crush into a soft mass, chew food"; also "a soft, pulpy substance”). Perhaps from Middle English chammen, champen ("to… The correct English form is jam, spelled J-A-M.

Definition

  1. 1
    A sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar and allowed to congeal. Often spread on bread or toast or used in jam tarts
  2. 2
    A difficult situation.
  3. 3
    A difficult situation.
  4. 4
    A blockage, congestion, or immobilization.
  5. 5
    An informal, impromptu performance or rehearsal.
  6. 6
    A song; a track.
  7. 7
    An informal event where people brainstorm and collaborate on projects.
  8. 8
    That which one particularly prefers, desires, enjoys, or cares about.
  9. 9
    A forceful dunk.
  10. 10
    A play during which points can be scored.
  11. 11
    Any of several manoeuvres requiring wedging of an extremity into a tight space.
  12. 12
    The tree Acacia acuminata, with fruity-smelling hard timber.
  13. 13
    Luck.
  14. 14
    Balls, bollocks, courage, machismo.
  15. 15
    Sexual relations or the contemplation of them.
  16. 16
    Something enjoyable; a delightful situation or outcome.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how jam appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. He is allergic to jam.
  2. She loves eating jam for breakfast in hotels.

Etymology

First attested in the early 18th c. as a verb meaning “to press, be pressed, be wedged in”. Compare dialectal jammock (“to press, squeeze, crush into a soft mass, chew food"; also "a soft, pulpy substance”). Perhaps from Middle English chammen, champen ("to bite upon something, gnash the teeth"; whence modern champ, chomp), of uncertain origin; probably originally onomatopoeic. The "performance" sense is first attested with regards to jazz in 1929, and its origin, though uncertain, is likely metaphorical, "something sweet made by the combination of many things", with influence from jamboree.

This word in other languages

mermelada(Español)confiture(Français)Marmelade(Deutsch)compota(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 "jam"?
"jam" is spelled J-A-M. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈd͡ʒæm/.
What does "jam" mean?
As a noun, "jam" means: A sweet mixture of fruit boiled with sugar and allowed to congeal. Often spread on bread or toast or used in jam tarts
What words are commonly confused with "jam"?
"jam" 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 "jam"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "jam" is /ˈd͡ʒæm/. 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 "jam"?
First attested in the early 18th c. as a verb meaning “to press, be pressed, be wedged in”. Compare dialectal jammock (“to press, squeeze, crush into a soft mass, chew food"; also "a soft, pulpy substance”). Perhaps from Middle English chammen, ch... 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.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "jam", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 3 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

IDK#5,422HIV#5,421dam#5,410rat#5,446

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list