jangle

/ˈdʒæŋɡl̩/

//ˈdʒæŋɡl̩// verb

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

"jangle" is a 6-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“jangle” is uncommon English (frequency #68,332 among 796 “J” headwords), classed as a verb. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#68,332
frequency rank, English
796
“J” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - To cause (something) to make a rattling metallic sound.

Corpus desk

Index EN-jangle · jangle · English

jangle · rank #68,332 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #68,332
  • LEN-LONG 6 letters
  • VOW-2 2 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 796
  • PHOTO-FINISH Jacko

Nearest frequency peer: Jacko (-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 “jangle”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

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

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for jangle
PropertyValue
Headwordjangle
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechVerb
IPA/ˈdʒæŋɡl̩/
Letters6
Frequency rank#68,332
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “jangle” 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).janglefalls in this rarity band:

#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. Rare peers in the same band: “Jacko” (#68,331), “Isola” (#68,329), “irretrievably” (#68,328). Among 796 “J” headwords, “jangle” is #68,332. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

jangle is uncommon English at frequency #68,332 among 796 “J” headwords, classed as averb, transcribed /ˈdʒæŋɡl̩/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 7 senses are on record.

No generated misspelling entries exist for jangle in our index, since its letter pattern doesn't lend itself to common typo substitutions. It is not paired with a close-neighbour confusable in our dataset, a sign it's visually distinctive enough not to be mixed up with another word.

Etymologically, the entry records: From Middle English janglen (“to talk excessively, chatter; to talk idly, gossip; to nag; to complain, grumble; to argue, debate; to discuss, talk; to talk indistinctly, jabber; to make a noise or outcry; of a bird: to chatter, twitter”) [and other forms], … The correct English form is jangle, spelled J-A-N-G-L-E.

Definition

  1. 1
    To cause (something) to make a rattling metallic sound.
  2. 2
    To express or say (something) in an argumentative or harsh manner.
  3. 3
    To irritate or jar (something).
  4. 4
    To make a rattling metallic sound.
  5. 5
    To speak in an angry or harsh manner.
  6. 6
    To quarrel verbally; to wrangle.
  7. 7
    Of a person: to speak loudly or too much; to chatter, to prate; of a bird: to make a noisy chattering sound.

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

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

  1. Now ſee what noble and moſt ſoueraigne reaſon / Like ſweet bells iangled, out of time, and harſh, /That vnmatcht forme, and ſtature of blowne youth / Blaſted with extacie, […]
  2. The sound from the next apartment jangled my nerves.

Etymology

From Middle English janglen (“to talk excessively, chatter; to talk idly, gossip; to nag; to complain, grumble; to argue, debate; to discuss, talk; to talk indistinctly, jabber; to make a noise or outcry; of a bird: to chatter, twitter”) [and other forms], from Old French jangler (“to chatter, gossip; to argue noisily; to bawl”) [and other forms]; further etymology uncertain, perhaps from Old Dutch *jangelon (“to jeer”) (compare Middle Dutch jangelen (“to murmur, grumble, buzz, mutter, drone, simmer”), modern Dutch jengelen (“to whine, persistently nag, whimper”), though the Oxford English Dictionary finds this improbable) and ultimately imitative.

This word in other languages

hacer sonar(Español)cliqueter(Français)

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 "jangle"?
"jangle" is spelled J-A-N-G-L-E. The IPA pronunciation is /ˈdʒæŋɡl̩/.
What does "jangle" mean?
As a verb, "jangle" means: To cause (something) to make a rattling metallic sound.
How do you pronounce "jangle"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "jangle" is /ˈdʒæŋɡl̩/. 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 "jangle"?
From Middle English janglen (“to talk excessively, chatter; to talk idly, gossip; to nag; to complain, grumble; to argue, debate; to discuss, talk; to talk indistinctly, jabber; to make a noise or outcry; of a bird: to chatter, twitter”) [and othe... 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 "jangle", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 6 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Judean#68,348Karnak#68,355Kasumi#68,357kingly#68,361

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

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list