Jamaica

/d͡ʒəˈmeɪ.kə/

//d͡ʒəˈmeɪ.kə// name

"jamaica" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“Jamaica” is a regularly-used English word, ranked #8,052 in English word frequency and used as a proper noun.

#8,052
frequency rank, English
7
letters
9
tracked misspellings
1
confusable pair

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - An island and country in the Caribbean.

Visual similarity to commonly confused words

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

Jamaica vs Jamaican
88% similar

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

Key facts for Jamaica
PropertyValue
HeadwordJamaica
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechProper noun
IPA/d͡ʒəˈmeɪ.kə/
Letters7
Frequency rank#8,052
Misspellings tracked9
Confusable pairs1
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Where “Jamaica” 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). Jamaica 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 Jamaica is 7 letters long, classified as a proper noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /d͡ʒəˈmeɪ.kə/. Corpus data places it at rank #8,052 in overall English word frequency, indicating it appears regularly in written and spoken text. The dominant gloss from Wiktionary reads: "An island and country in the Caribbean.".

Our generated misspelling index lists 9 likely wrong-spelling variants for Jamaica, with forms such as "ajmaica", "jaamica", and "jamacia". Every one of these variants traces to a single-character edit -- an added or dropped letter, a swapped consonant, or a vowel swap -- the kind of slip a spell-checker is built to catch. It also participates in 1 confusable-pair relationship, "Jamaican", a pairing that trips writers up because the two words share enough sound or shape to blur together.

Etymologically, the entry records: Derived from Taíno Xaymaca (“land of wood and water”), from Taíno maca (“wood”). The correct English form is Jamaica, spelled J-A-M-A-I-C-A.

Definition

  1. 1
    An island and country in the Caribbean.

Etymology

Derived from Taíno Xaymaca (“land of wood and water”), from Taíno maca (“wood”).

This word in other languages

Common misspellings

Also misspelled as: ajmaica,jaamica,jamacia,jamaiac,jamaicca,jamiaca,jammaica,jjamaica,jmaaica

Misspelling Pattern Breakdown

How far each generated variant is from the correct spelling of Jamaica - expressed in single-character edits (insert, delete, or swap one letter). Bigger bars stand out at a glance; a one-edit slip is the hardest to catch.

ajmaica2jaamica2jamacia2jamaiac2jamaicca1jamiaca2jammaica1jjamaica1
Edit distance from "Jamaica"

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 "Jamaica"?
"Jamaica" is spelled J-A-M-A-I-C-A. The IPA pronunciation is /d͡ʒəˈmeɪ.kə/.
What does "Jamaica" mean?
As a proper noun, "Jamaica" means: An island and country in the Caribbean.
What words are commonly confused with "Jamaica"?
"Jamaica" is commonly confused with "Jamaican". These words look or sound similar but have different meanings. PlainSpell provides detailed comparisons for each pair.
How do you pronounce "Jamaica"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "Jamaica" is /d͡ʒəˈmeɪ.kə/. 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 "Jamaica"?
Derived from Taíno Xaymaca (“land of wood and water”), from Taíno maca (“wood”). 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 “Jamaica”

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

  • The one correct English spelling is J-A-M-A-I-C-A - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
  • Say it as /d͡ʒəˈmeɪ.kə/ (IPA); tap the speaker on the pronunciation badge to hear it where audio exists.
  • Don't mix it up with “Jamaican” - see the side-by-side comparison. Jamaica vs Jamaican
  • 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