jamb
/d͡ʒæm/noun, verb
jamb is spelled J-A-M-B: 4 letters and one syllable. It appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 55,433rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). People search “jam vs jamb” about 260 times a month (Google, United States). As a noun, jamb means “Either of the vertical components that form the side of an opening in a wall, such as that of a door frame, window frame, or fireplace” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of jamb is jambs.
How many letters and syllables are in jamb?
| Letters | 4: J-A-M-B |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 3 million words; the 55,433rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Pairs people search | |
| Sounds like |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); Bing searches in the United States: the average month from September 2025 to August 2026 (Microsoft Advertising keyword data through DataForSEO, read September 30, 2026).
How common is jamb?
Jamb appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 55,433rd most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce jamb?
- /d͡ʒæm/
Jamb has one syllable (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Words people confuse with jamb
Word pairs people search, with the monthly searches for “a vs b” (G: Google, B: Bing, United States).
Sounds like: jam (Wiktionary's homophone list; some hold only in some accents).
Also written: jam.
Sources: Google and Bing searches (September 2025 to August 2026, through DataForSEO); English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of jamb
- jambs plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- jambe
- jambing participle, present
- jambed participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does jamb mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
Either of the vertical components that form the side of an opening in a wall, such as that of a door frame, window frame, or fireplace.
- 2
Any thick mass of rock that prevents miners from following the lode or vein.
- 3
Synonym of jambeau (“piece of armor for the leg”).
verb
- 1
To fix or attach a jamb to.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Jamb in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense vertical component that form the side of an opening in a wall:
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does jamb come from?
From Middle English jambe, jaumbe, from Old French jambe (“leg”), from Late Latin gamba (“hock, shank, leg, thigh”), from Ancient Greek καμπή (kampḗ, “turning post, bend or flexure”). Doublet of gam, gamb, gamba, and jambe.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).