jank
/ˈd͡ʒeɪ̯ŋk/noun, adjective
jank is spelled J-A-N-K: 4 letters and one syllable. It appears about once in every 12 million words in written English, the 103,949th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, jank means “Perceptible pause in the smooth rendering of a software application's user interface due to slow operations or poor interface design” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in jank?
| Letters | 4: J-A-N-K |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 1 |
| In writing | about once in every 12 million words; the 103,949th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is jank?
Jank appears about once in every 12 million words in written English, the 103,949th 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 jank?
- /ˈd͡ʒæŋk/
- [ˈd͡ʒæŋk]
- US /ˈd͡ʒeɪ̯ŋk/
Jank has one syllable.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Flame,_not_lame-jank.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with jank?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as jank from its last stressed vowel (/eɪŋk/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of jank
- more jank comparative
- most jank superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does jank mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
slangPerceptible pause in the smooth rendering of a software application's user interface due to slow operations or poor interface design.
- 2
slangGame mechanics of unconventional or flawed design or implementation, and the experience of such mechanics, as to ruin or disrupt play, or break immersion; e.g. bugs and glitches.
- 3
slangA game, or games, with such mechanics.
adjective
- 1
slangJanky.
Sadly, my new laptop is even more jank than my old one.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Jank in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense Translations:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| Spanish | lo escarpado |
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 jank come from?
Ostensibly a back-formation from janky (“shoddy, poor quality”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).