jamb

/d͡ʒæm/

//d͡ʒæm// noun

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

"jamb" is a 4-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“jamb” is uncommon English (frequency #55,525 among 796 “J” headwords), classed as a noun. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#55,525
frequency rank, English
796
“J” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 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.

Corpus desk

Index EN-jamb · jamb · English

jamb · rank #55,525 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #55,525
  • LEN-MID 4 letters
  • VOW-1 1 vowel
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 796
  • PHOTO-FINISH Jalisco

Nearest frequency peer: Jalisco (-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.

Long-tail ranks near “jamb”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “jamb” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for jamb
PropertyValue
Headwordjamb
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechNoun
IPA/d͡ʒæm/
Letters4
Frequency rank#55,525
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “jamb” in English

This scale runs from the tiny cluster of words that carry ordinary speech (left) to the long tail of words almost nobody reaches for (right).jambfalls in this rarity band:

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

Scale is logarithmic (each tick is 10× rarer). Rare peers in the same band: “Jalisco” (#55,524), “Janette” (#55,526), “Jacksons” (#55,523). Among 796 “J” headwords, “jamb” is #55,525. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

jamb is uncommon English at frequency #55,525 among 796 “J” headwords, classed as anoun, transcribed /d͡ʒæm/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 3 senses are on record.

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

  1. 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. 2
    Any thick mass of rock that prevents miners from following the lode or vein.
  3. 3
    Synonym of jambeau (“piece of armor for the leg”).

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Wyntoun, in his Chronicle, mentions an encounter betwixt Lindsay and a Highlander, whom he had pierced with his lance, but who, while on the ground, cut at him with his twohanded sword, and, striking through his steel jambs […]
  2. The light of the moon gleamed on his steel helmet, his globular corslet, and the taces cuisses, or thigh pieces, and steel jambs which protected his legs.

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

jamba(Español)jambage(Français)Türpfosten(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 "jamb"?
"jamb" is spelled J-A-M-B. The IPA pronunciation is /d͡ʒæm/.
What does "jamb" mean?
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.
How do you pronounce "jamb"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "jamb" is /d͡ʒæm/. 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 "jamb"?
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. 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 "jamb", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 4 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

kolo#55,538koto#55,540Kurd#55,543Lani#55,548

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list