jaunty
jaun·ty/ˈd͡ʒɔːn.ti/adjective, noun
jaunty is spelled J-A-U-N-T-Y: 6 letters and 2 syllables (jaun·ty). It appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 52,954th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, jaunty means “Airy; showy; finical” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in jaunty?
| Letters | 6: J-A-U-N-T-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2: jaun·ty |
| In writing | about once in every 3 million words; the 52,954th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
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).
How common is jaunty?
Jaunty appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 52,954th 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 jaunty?
- /ˈd͡ʒɔːn.ti/
- /ˈdʒɑːn.ti/
Jaunty has 2 syllables, split jaun·ty in writing.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-jaunty.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of jaunty
- jauntier comparative
- jauntiest superlative
- jaunties plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does jaunty mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Airy; showy; finical.
- 2
Characterized by an affected or fantastical manner.
- 3
Dapper or stylish.
He wore a jaunty outfit that was all the rage.
- 4
Ostentatiously self-confident.
He walked down the street with a jaunty swaggering step, as if daring others less perfectly satisfied to intrude upon his good mood.
noun
- 1
A master-at-arms on board a Royal Navy ship.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Jaunty in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | affektiert, prätentiös, übermütig, fröhlich, keck, munter |
| Spanish | alegre, animado, jacarandoso , desenvuelto |
| Portuguese | janota |
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 jaunty come from?
Formerly spelt janty, from French gentil. See gentle, and compare genty. Doublet of genteel, gentile, and gentle.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).