japan
/d͡ʒəˈpæn/noun, verb
japan is spelled J-A-P-A-N: 5 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 78 times per million words in written English, the 1,369th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data, counting Japan, the name). As a noun, japan means “A hard black enamel varnish containing asphalt” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of japan is japans.
How many letters and syllables are in japan?
| Letters | 5: J-A-P-A-N |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 78 times per million words; the 1,369th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
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).
How common is japan?
Japan appears 78 times per million words in written English, the 1,369th most frequent word form in the list. The list counts every capitalisation together, so this includes Japan, the name.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce japan?
- /d͡ʒəˈpæn/
Japan has 2 syllables (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). Recordings: En-us-japan.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of japan
- japans plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- japanning participle, present
- japanned participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does japan mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A hard black enamel varnish containing asphalt.
- 2
Lacquerware.
verb
- 1
To varnish (something) with japan.
- 2
UKobsoleteslangTo ordain (someone).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Japan in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense to varnish (something) with japan:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | japon |
| German | Japan |
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 japan come from?
From Japan, due to this varnishing process being an imitation of East Asian processes. Sense “to ordain” in reference to the black clothes worn by the clergy.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).