jamb
/d͡ʒæm/
"jamb" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.
The verdict
“jamb” is an uncommon English word, ranked #55,525 in English word frequency and used as a noun.
- #55,525
- frequency rank, English
- 4
- letters
According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed May 6, 2026) - 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.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Headword | jamb |
| Language | English |
| Part of speech | Noun |
| IPA | /d͡ʒæm/ |
| Letters | 4 |
| Frequency rank | #55,525 |
| Misspellings tracked | 0 |
| Confusable pairs | 0 |
| Source | Wiktionary (kaikki.org) |
Where “jamb” sits in English frequency
Spelling & Dictionary Insight
The English entry for jamb is 4 letters long, classified as a noun, and transcribed in the International Phonetic Alphabet as /d͡ʒæm/. Corpus data places it at rank #55,525 in overall English word frequency, marking it as uncommon enough that many writers pause before typing it. Wiktionary records 3 distinct senses for this headword, so context determines which meaning a reader should apply.
No generated misspelling entries exist for jamb in our index, which points to an orthography that plays by predictable English rules. No close-neighbour confusable shows up for this headword in our dataset, since its spelling is unusual enough that it doesn't cluster with a lookalike.
Etymologically, the entry records: 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. The correct English form is jamb, spelled J-A-M-B.
Definition
- 1Either 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.
- 2Any thick mass of rock that prevents miners from following the lode or vein.
- 3Synonym of jambeau (“piece of armor for the leg”).
Etymology
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.
This word in other languages
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
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Using “jamb”
The practical upshot for anyone who landed here from a spell-check.
- The one correct English spelling is J-A-M-B - every other letter order is a misspelling in standard orthography.
- Say it as /d͡ʒæm/ (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.